MirriAd Limited, the market leader in digital product placement, has completed a successful funding round, led by Oxford Capital Partners and STV Group plc. The round was also supported by existing institutional and individual shareholders.

As part of the round MirriAd has appointed Peter Bazalgette as Chairman. Peter is one Europe’s most senior media executives having been a Board director of Endemol and Channel 4. He is best known for introducing Big Brother into the UK and for developing new strategies in the media sector.

MirriAd partners with broadcasters and brand owners to place products digitally into existing media content. The company has developed an IP protected software-based solution to integrate lifelike brand images directly into video content, post production. MirriAd’s proprietary system also solves the management of the sales process, facilitates online approvals by all stakeholders as well as tracking and valuing the brand exposure.

MirriAd is tapping into a rapidly expanding market for product placement worldwide. The US sector alone has been growing by more than 25% a year (source: PQ Media Annual Report). Meanwhile TV product placement is becoming legal in all the major European media markets over the next few months. Brand owners are seeking new ways to reach consumers and to integrate more with content as technology drives changes in how we consume our media. MirriAd is working with major broadcasters on three continents, for whom its service has already been successfully tested.

Peter Bazalgette, MirriAd’s Chairman, said : “ This is a seminal moment for product placement. With its legalisation in Europe, with the desire of brands to get closer to content and with MirriAd’s compelling digital solution I look forward to an exciting growth phase for the company.”

Colin Watts, Investment Director at Oxford Capital said, “ As a specialist growth investor, we are pleased to be joining MirriAd at this inflection point in its development. With a clear product advantage, MirriAd is the leader in the European market. We’re attracted by the company’s robust business model and the potential for its applications, both in broadcast media and the online video market.”

Anmar Kawash, Chief Operating Officer, STV Group plc, said:  “STV is both a content maker and a national broadcaster offering solutions to advertisers and MirriAd’s products and processes provide an innovative way of adding value to both.  We are excited to be involved with the market leader at this important time.”

About MirriAd

Launched in September 2007 by CEO, Mark Popkiewicz, previously a director of BBC Ventures, MirriAd aims to revolutionize product placement for the digital era.  MirriAd has developed an end to end solution able to digitally place brand imagery into any video on demand and at scale.  MirriAd’s digital placements have been extensively researched and proven to achieve excellent results for brands whilst positively impacting production values and the viewer experience on line and on TV.

Headquartered in London with offices in New York and Mumbai, MirriAd is privately owned with institutional investors including Oxford Technology Management, Oxford Capital Partners, STV Group PLC, Seraphim Capital and South East Growth Fund and notable angel investors Bruce Smith and Stephen Bullock.

About Oxford Capital

Oxford Capital Partners is a specialist investment manager focused on investing in companies with potential for high growth in global markets. Based in Oxford and Geneva, Oxford Capital Partners looks to back exceptional management teams and invest at the high growth stage of a company’s development. Leveraging its extensive networks, Oxford Capital Partners assists portfolio companies in accessing international markets in Europe, the US, Middle East and Asia to roll-out and expand their strategies. Oxford Capital Partners was established in 1999 and oversees a portfolio of over 25 companies in the fields of communications, healthcare and sustainability.

About STV Group plc

STV Group plc is Scotland’s leading digital media company and brand providing advertisers with platforms with unrivalled reach and impact across Scotland .  STV holds two Channel 3 Network licenses broadcasting to over 4 million viewers across Scotland each month.  STV’s digital channels attract over 1.9 million unique users per month.  STV’s website – stv.tv – is home to the STV Player and comprehensive news, sport and entertainment services.

STV is Scotland’s most popular peak time commercial TV station and owns production companies, STV Productions and Ginger Productions.  STV Productions is a major player in the UK and international television production industry, with an excellent track record in drama, children’s, factual and entertainment.  STV Productions has produced a wide range of programmes for a variety of networks including top quality drama like Taggart and Rebus for ITV1, high profile factual programming such as a one-hour documentary on Peter Tobin for ITV1, and DNA Stories and Missing Mums with Lorraine Kelly for Sky Real Lives.  STV Productions global super-brands, Taggart and Rebus have sold successfully into over 100 territories worldwide.   Ginger Productions is responsible for the successful Jack Osbourne Adrenaline Junkie Series (ITV2); award-winning documentary Take A Seat (ITV4) and Turning Japanese (E4); among many others.