Skimlinks, the leading content monetization platform for digital publishers, announced today that the company has raised $16 million in Series C financing. The round was led by Frog Capital, with participation from existing investors Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), Greycroft, Sussex Place Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).
To date, Skimlinks has raised a total of $24 million in equity. Skimlinks’ network of premium digital publishers includes 1.5 million websites and apps focused on commerce-related content. Skimlinks enables these publishers to automatically earn revenues by rewarding them for any e-commerce activity driven by their content. In 2014, Skimlinks’ publishers monetized their content by generating over $625 million in sales for over 20,000 retailers on the Skimlinks platform.
Skimlinks’ 60 percent revenue growth last year among editorial sites demonstrates the power of content and native advertising. In the year, Skimlinks brought on more top publishers, including Vox Media, Time Inc and Cafemom to add to existing clients such as Gawker Media, Hearst and Condé Nast. To support this growth, Skimlinks expanded its team by 40 percent and opened a second office in the US, located in New York.
With their core technology and network solidly in place, Skimlinks will use the growth capital to extend its market-leading platform to help publishers earn substantially more from their commerce-related content. Skimlinks has dubbed this type of shopping-oriented editorial content “comtent”, which includes product galleries, reviews, features, gift guides, wish lists, and deal news. Skimlinks is focused on helping editorial publishers understand the value of comtent, not just for its revenue potential through affiliate linking, but also for its value in driving influence and insights.
This Series C round, which was led by Frog Partners Joe Krancki and Iyad Omari, marks Frog Capital’s first investment in Skimlinks. “Publishers are increasingly turning to content-led monetization strategies for growth, as traditional digital display advertising rates continue to decline. With incredibly efficient technology and deep commerce insight, Skimlinks has become the go-to content monetization partner for the world’s most prestigious digital publishers,” says Iyad Omari, Partner, Frog Capital. “We are very impressed by what Alicia and her team have achieved and look forward to working with them to make this an even bigger success story.” “We have always believed that a strong culture and collaborative values are critical to building a lasting, robust company,” said Alicia Navarro, co-founder and CEO of Skimlinks. “It made sense that we expand that belief not just to our teammates and clients, but also to our investors, who become an extension of our team. Frog’s similarity in values and culture, coupled with their breadth of vision, strategic experience and desire to contribute, made Frog an ideal investor and partner for Skimlinks.”
About Skimlinks
Founded in 2007, Skimlinks creates native monetization solutions for publishers, rewarding them for any e-commerce they drive by automatically turning product links and references into trackable affiliate links. Integrated with more than 20,000 merchants, Skimlinks processes 300 million clicks a month on over 1.5 million sites around the web. Skimlinks technology helps publishers like Time Inc, Gawker Media, Condé Nast, Hearst Digital and The Huffington Post earn revenue and gain insights from their commerce-related content. Last year, the company drove $625M worth of e-commerce through its platform. Skimlinks is a team of more than 80 with offices in London, San Francisco and New York.
Learn more at www.skimlinks.com
About Frog Capital
Frog Capital is a leading growth capital investor focused on technology-led businesses in Europe. Frog’s experienced team has invested in over 100 companies, and in the last five years has exited companies with a total transaction value over €1 billion. Frog is a committed long-term partner, investing in ambitious companies with revenue up to €30m and requiring up to €20m of growth capital. By applying industry knowledge, a network of relationships and operating expertise, Frog actively supports exceptional company growth and builds significant shareholder value.
For further information, please visit www.frogcapital.com
