philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

As Virtual Reality Content Gains Traction, Bigger Dollars Flow to Ad-Tech Players

Ad-focused VR players have been largely relegated to the sidelines, watching and waiting until the space becomes more mainstream with consumers.

There was a sign on Wednesday that those days could be coming to a close. Vertebrae, which is an ad-tech firm focused on virtual reality, announced a $10 million round of funding to propel its eponymous advertising platform. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based player declined naming its investors but said they were non-media companies.

"Industries have been conditioned to pay attention to what's down the road—even if it's only 1 percent of your time," remarked Adaora Udoji, managing director of The Boshia Group, a research and investment firm. "It's never too soon—that's one of the lessons of digital. You need to be in parallel with the revolution. The eyeballs are going to go there."

Vertebrae, in particular, boasts that its platform is "device-agnostic," meaning it can help facilitate ads for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and other futuristic headsets.

At the same time, Peltz pointed out that better measurement may be the key to moving VR advertising forward when it comes to investors and brands alike.

With that in mind, Entrypoint is a 1-year-old company that focuses on VR distribution and analytics, working with creative agencies and content shops. The New York-based startup said it's currently closing its first round of funding.

See the full story here: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/virtual-reality-content-gains-traction-bigger-dollars-flow-its-ad-tech-players-173479