iVS

Established in 2016, iVideoSmart (iVS) operates as a B2B video publishing and monetization platform headquartered in Singapore. The company addresses the challenge faced by digital publishers and advertisers in capturing audience engagement and generating revenue from video content. iVS serves clients like major online media companies, content producers, and brands, enabling them to increase video inventory and improve user interaction.

The company's core offering is an out-of-the-box video solution that utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning. This technology analyzes the content of a publisher's articles to automatically recommend and embed relevant, premium videos from a network of over 165 content providers. This process increases monetization opportunities for publishers, who retain more of the advertising revenue by hosting the videos on their own sites. A key feature is the system's ability to tag content within videos, identifying faces, objects, and scenes to create opportunities for unobtrusive ad placements. For example, the software can digitally insert a branded product into a video scene. Furthermore, its 'HotSpot' feature makes video content clickable and interactive, facilitating a direct path from video to e-commerce, which supports performance-based advertising campaigns.

The business model is success-based, where iVS takes a share of the revenue generated, removing cost barriers for publishers. The company also operates a B2B content exchange where service providers like telcos and smart-TV software makers can purchase content. In 2017, iVS became the first ad-tech company to be accredited by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) under its Accreditation@SG Digital programme, a recognition of its product's capabilities. The company has secured significant funding, including a US$3.5 million Series A in 2017 and a US$4.5 million Series A+ in 2019 from investors like Monk's Hill Ventures, Kickstart Ventures, and SGInnovate. In April 2023, iVS was acquired by ShowHeroes, a global digital video solutions provider.

Keywords: video advertising, ad-tech, content monetization, publisher solutions, video engagement, artificial intelligence, machine learning, native advertising, contextual video, in-stream ads, video-to-commerce, programmatic advertising, digital media, content exchange, interactive video, B2B SaaS, video analytics, revenue sharing, media technology, brand placement