Melbourne adtech Vudoo raises $22 million Series B to expand in-video checkout in the US
Led by Blue Sky Capital, the round funds Vudoo's US sales expansion and commerce technology that lets viewers buy inside ads and videos.
Melbourne adtech company Vudoo has raised $22 million in a Series B round to scale in the US, according to Startup Daily. startupdaily.net
Startup Dailystartupdaily.netOpen source ↗ The round was led by US fund Blue Sky Capital, with several existing family office investors also taking part. The money will go toward expanding overseas sales operations and developing the company's commerce technology.
Vudoo builds checkout inside ads and videos, so that retailers can sell directly through them. The company was founded in 2017 by Nick Morgan and Andrew Spalding, who came up with the interactive video idea while talking in a Singapore bar. To lead its North American push, it has hired two executives.
Checkout inside the video
One of the earliest Vudoo checkouts appeared in a 2022 Vogue Australia campaign run with News Corp Australia for Moët & Chandon. Viewers watching model Victoria Lee put together a birthday celebration could buy a personalised bottle of champagne inside the video and then keep watching. For publishers, the format provides audience retention; for advertisers, it makes it possible to track what a person bought after watching an ad.
The champagne house reported that shoppers who took up the video offers spent an average of $140, compared with a typical $90 online. startupdaily.net
Startup Dailystartupdaily.netOpen source ↗ Morgan, Vudoo's CEO, said commerce is moving beyond traditional storefronts, with the moment of transaction shifting into the media and content environments where consumers discover and engage with products. Morgan added that the company deliberately built Vudoo for that shift.
North American team
Isabella Spragg has been promoted to chief operating officer to oversee global operations. Spragg recently joined as global director of ad infrastructure and partnerships, after senior roles at The Trade Desk and Monks during a 20-year career.
In New York, Tash Henderson, a 20-year advertising veteran, takes charge of North American commercial operations as managing director; Henderson previously worked at News Corp Australia and iHeartMedia's Unified. Former H&M Group and Bambuser executive Sophie Abrahamsson joins as North American head of retail. Julian Colantuono joins as customer success director, overseeing work with clients globally.
