Panorama News
JIWIRE CLOSES $11 MILLION IN FUNDING TO EXPAND WORLD'S LARGEST
MOBILE AUDIENCE MEDIA COMPANY
Panorama Capital Leads Series B Financing to Fuel Audience and Advertiser Growth
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – April 8, 2009 – JiWire,
the leading mobile audience media company, has secured $11 million in a
round of funding led by Panorama Capital. Panorama was joined by new
investor Comcast Interactive Capital and existing investor DFJ
Frontier. The investment allows JiWire to build on its momentum by
providing marketers with more opportunities to reach the rapidly
expanding on-the-go mobile audience.
JiWire was the first company to use wireless Internet access as a
medium for advertising and now reaches 20 million unique users per
month across 25,000 Wi-Fi hotspots. This network of hotspots offers a
new opportunity for marketers to serve ads to people using their
laptops and smart phones on the go and reach an affluent,
technology-savvy audience in popular locations including airports,
hotels, cafes, cruise ships, city centers and even in-flight. As people
become more mobile and spend less time with traditional media, new
media and technologies that let advertisers engage with a mobile
audience, such as digital signage and Wi-Fi networks, are emerging.
“JiWire is the clear leader in monetizing Wi-Fi with digital
advertising and has a proven track record of connecting blue chip
advertisers with their relevant audiences,” said Chris Albinson,
partner at Panorama Capital. “We’re excited about the
company's rapid growth and look forward to the continued accelerating
adoption of broadband wireless technologies that will fuel
JiWire’s expansion plans. The mobile Web and Wi-Fi are
increasingly synonymous, and JiWire is the only company to reach people
who are using this as a media on a scale that allows for powerful brand
engagement.”
According to In-Stat, in 2008, 387 million new Wi-Fi devices shipped,
including 56 million cellular devices and 71 million portable consumer
electronic devices. Also in 2008, large U.S. carriers adopted Wi-Fi as
a primary way to allow their customers to connect to the mobile web.
"Wi-Fi has grown substantially over the years – both in consumer
devices and in hotspots at public locations – and we expect
continued growth in the near future,” said Daryl Schoolar, senior
analyst with In-Stat. “With increased Wi-Fi penetration in phones
despite a weak economy and service providers beginning to incorporate
Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity in data plans, it is clear that consumers
want and expect to be connected everywhere they go and Wi-Fi is a great
solution for this.”
“People expect to have Internet access anywhere and advertisers
are looking for new ways to connect with an increasingly mobile
audience,” said Kevin McKenzie, founder and chief executive
officer of JiWire. “Our network combines out-of-home exposure
with the interactivity of online media and the ability to target every
impression. We know how and where people connect, giving advertisers
new and exciting ways to reach this mobile audience and measure the
success of their campaigns.”
Consumers increasingly access the Internet through wireless broadband
devices – such as laptops and Wi-Fi enabled phones like the
iPhone – from places outside of their home and office. JiWire
leverages this growing medium for advertisers while enabling wireless
Internet service operators to monetize their networks in new ways.
###
About JiWire
JiWire is the leading mobile audience media company, delivering
advertising across premier locations and devices. JiWire's breakthrough
advertising medium enables marketers to reach an influential mobile
demographic at the point-of-connection. JiWire's portfolio of blue-chip
advertisers, combined with its market-proven delivery platform and
registry of hotspot locations, enables wireless broadband networks and
device manufacturers to leverage advertising as a currency for wireless
Internet access. For more information, please visit www.jiwire.com or
call (415) 877-4711.
About Panorama Capital
Panorama Capital is a venture capital firm focused on life sciences and
technology companies. Panorama Capital was founded in 2005 by: Srinivas
Akkaraju M.D., Ph.D.; Christopher J. Albinson; Rodney A. Ferguson,
J.D., Ph.D.; Shahan D. Soghikian; and Damion E. Wicker, M.D., along
with a core team of investment professionals who worked together for
many years. Together, this team has a singular focus: helping
entrepreneurs build market-leading companies. Panorama invests in
entrepreneurs and teams who share its values: a passion to build great
companies; an unyielding focus on people and teamwork; and a commitment
to integrity. Panorama’s philosophy is to make that same
commitment to the teams it supports, over and above its financial
investment, and to take a hands-on, highly collaborative approach to
investing, bringing to each portfolio company the team's extensive
operating and investing experience.
About Comcast Interactive Capital
Comcast Interactive Capital (CIC) is a venture capital fund focused on
broadband, enterprise and interactive technologies. CIC is affiliated
with Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA), a diversified global leader
in cable, broadband services, telecommunications and entertainment.
CIC’s primary goal is to generate superior financial returns from
private equity investments in early-stage technology companies. To
achieve this goal, CIC works to foster the success of its portfolio
companies by bringing to bear the unique resources, experience, and
insight of both CIC and the Comcast family of companies.
About DFJ Frontier
DFJ Frontier is a venture capital fund known for early stage investing
in a broad range of technology companies throughout the West Coast. DFJ
Frontier backs passionate entrepreneurs and provides business
assistance, not just capital. The firm typically leads the first round
of investment, taking a significant stake in the company and an active
role on the Board of Directors. DFJ Frontier is an affiliate of Draper
Fisher Jurvetson, and has offices in Sacramento and Santa Barbara,
California. For more information, visit: http://www.dfjfrontier.com.
Press Contact:
Adrian Richardson,
650-762-2949, adrian.richardson@ar-edelman.com
