Blinkfire Analytics

Blinkfire Analytics, established in 2013 by serial entrepreneurs Steve Olechowski and Juan Luis Hortelano, operates at the intersection of digital media, data analytics, and sports. The founders leveraged their backgrounds in advertising and technology to address the growing need for sophisticated sponsorship valuation in the digital age. Olechowski, a co-founder of FeedBurner (acquired by Google), brought extensive experience in product management, content syndication, and mobile monetization to the venture. Hortelano also had a background as a founder and angel investor. Headquartered in Chicago with a significant presence in Valencia, Spain, the company has secured $2.6 million in funding over four rounds, with its latest Seed round in June 2017 raising $1.6 million led by Harrison Metal.

The firm provides a business intelligence platform for the sports, media, and entertainment industries, serving a diverse client base that includes rights holders, leagues, teams, players, influencers, agents, and brands. Its business model is centered on a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription, offering clients real-time, continuous access to its analytics platform. Clients like LaLiga, the Austrian Bundesliga, FlyQuest, and numerous teams in the NBA, EPL, and MLS utilize Blinkfire to quantify sponsorship value and optimize fan engagement strategies.

Blinkfire's core product is a comprehensive sponsorship intelligence platform that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and patented computer vision technology called BrandSpotter™. This technology analyzes images and videos across social media, digital streams, and broadcast to detect and value brand exposure in real-time. The platform offers a suite of tools including the Blinkfire Inventory Manager for tracking sponsorship assets, Blinkfire Trends for real-time social media monitoring and competitive benchmarking, and Blinkfire Broadcast for analyzing TV and OTT content. It provides detailed metrics on audience engagement, reach, impressions, and calculates a monetary valuation for brand exposure, allowing clients to measure the ROI of their sponsorship campaigns effectively.

Keywords: sponsorship analytics, sports business intelligence, computer vision, social media valuation, brand detection, sports marketing analytics, digital media measurement, real-time sponsorship ROI, esports analytics, athlete influencer marketing, broadcast analytics, OTT analytics, fan engagement tracking, LaLiga analytics, NBA sponsorship, sports tech, BrandSpotter, Steve Olechowski, sponsorship data platform, media value analysis