SEATTLE, Dec. 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blab is a breakthrough for brands in powering real-time and adaptive content strategy and digital media buying activities. Today the company announced $8.8 million as an initial closing of an $11.6 million Series B Preferred equity financing, co-led by China-based Blue Focus Communications Group Co. LTD (300058: Shenzhen) and Shoreline Venture Management. Operative Capital also participated in the round. Blue Focus and Shoreline Venture Management will both join the Blab Board of Directors. Funding will be used to accelerate product development and sales and marketing initiatives.
Similar to how Google indexes information and Facebook maps social connections, with Blab brands can now discover the contextual landscape within which their audiences are participating, predict the dynamic path of conversations and exactly when, where, and how to engage.
"What if a brand strategist could predict the key drivers of engagement and moments of opportunity? We've done that with Blab, and that is why we have quickly gained loyal traction with large agencies and marketers who understand the power of acting in the moment, before anybody else understands that 'we are in a moment'. Blab fills the need for technology that bridges the gap between customer, journey and intent," said Randy Browning, CEO Blab.
Blab goes beyond the social graph of any one single social network to capture the real-time zeitgeist across the entirety of the social web. Furthermore, whereas standard knowledge graphs consist of mostly static and slow-to-evolve information, Blab's Conversation Graph changes with the pulse of social discourse and immediately surfaces the trends, topics and media in the limelight today that might not have even existed yesterday.
Blue Focus is the leading communication group in China for brand management solutions with major service offerings in digital marketing, public relations, advertising, marketing consulting and event management. The company launched its new strategy of globalization and digitization, followed by several major investments in Huntsworth Group, WeAreSocial and Fuseproject. The recent investment in Blab aligns with Bluefocus' overall direction. "The world communication market is changing rapidly from analog to digital. Blab gives us an edge through the ability to predict what happens tomorrow. We are very excited to be part of this deal and to propel the technology forward," said Holly Zheng, President of Blue Focus International.
Blab is used by Fortune 1000 companies and licensed by agencies including Mindshare, one of the four largest global media planning/buying agencies, Horizon Media, the largest independent media planning and buying agency, and Razorfish, one of the fastest-growing digital and technology agencies.
"As social data enables brands to inject greater relevancy and contextual value to the consumer, the new mindset must be that content/ad spend/adword purchasing becomes predictive. We believe Blab will become an essential component for any brand serious about improving real-time ROI," said Peter Craddock, Director of Shoreline Venture Management.
Blab Chairman, Barry X Lynn, Founder of tech accelerator Be eXceL management had been lead investor in Blab up to this round. "I am passionate about breakthrough technology. There is nothing on the market that can compare with the power of Blab and the predictive analytics and data visualization it generates. It is unprecedented."
About Blab
Blab is a pioneer in the category of Predictive Social Intelligence. Blab applies proprietary technology and big data processing to organize, pattern, and predict tomorrow's online conversations today. Brands rely on BlabPredicts to understand what matters now, and predict what will matter next, giving businesses the daily predictive intelligence they need to adapt strategies, maximize opportunities, and minimize threats. For more information please visit www.blabpredicts.com.