Stockholm's Videoplaza acquired by Ooyala

    We’ve written plenty of articles on the company over the years, but looking back we haven’t given Stockholm-based Videoplaza nearly the attention they’ve deserved, considering they’ve raised $17.4 million since being founded in 2008 and are in the increasingly-important market of video advertising. But today they’re making headlines again with the news that they’ve been acquired by Ooyala, a subsidiary of Telstra, which powers video for hundreds of broadcasters and media companies, with a focus on engagement and monetization. With Vidoplaza onboard, Ooyala can address everything from content acquisition, playback, ad serving, and personalized content. Over time, Videoplaza will be unified into a single offering for their customers.

    On the company’s blog, CEO and founder Sorosh Tavakoli says, “We are heavily investing in R&D in Stockholm, and across the wider business. To get a feeling, we currently have over 20 open positions across our various geographies. What this means for our clients is more innovation, at a faster pace, to differentiate and grow their business.”

    The details of the deal were not announced, but Videoplaza’s customers include many “tier one” media, including half of Europe’s broadcasters with good traction in the Asia Pacific region, suggesting good money is moving through the platform. In the U.S. alone, their press release points out that digital video ad revenues will increase more than 40% this year, compared to just over three percent growth for TV advertising.

    Investors in Videoplaza include many from the region, including Creandum and Northzone, as well as Qualcomm Ventures, and Innovacom.