Spotzer Media Raises Euro 10 Million From Sierra Ventures and European Directories

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spotzer Media Group, BV, the world’s first provider of affordable multi-media video advertising campaigns, today announced the closing of Euro 10 million in financing led by Sierra Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif. European Directories, operator of leading yellow page publishers in nine countries, also invested.

Spotzer will primarily use the new capital to extend its innovative rich media advertising services into the U.S. market. The company has recently opened offices in New York and California and now plans aggressive build-out of its sales and client services capabilities. Strategic partnerships with a number of major U.S. television, Web and out-of-home TV networks are also under development. The expansion is timed to fully leverage the company’s new online advertising platform (www.spotzer.com), which was recently opened to clients globally (see release dated Nov. 28, 2007.)

The new capital will also enable Spotzer to launch its first significant sales channel collaborations, including a pilot program in which Spotzer’s ad creation services will be offered to local businesses through sales teams in the European Directories group.

Spotzer offers local businesses turn-key, multi-media, video advertising campaigns at remarkably low costs. Clients can use advanced search and mapping tools to configure and purchase highly targeted campaigns across television, Web and out-of-home TV networks. Clients also have access to an online library of high-quality, “ready-to-air” video commercials that can be personalized with their unique logos, photos, slogans and other branding materials.

“We are enormously proud to announce these new investments,” said Spotzer Chief Executive Andrew D. Klein. “Sierra brings decades of experience building technology-powered new businesses. It has tremendous knowledge and valuable contacts throughout the media and Internet worlds. European Directories offers unprecedented insight into how to sell advertising to small- and mid-sized businesses. It also represents huge opportunity if we can leverage its sales resources in selling our services.”

“Spotzer is applying new technologies and innovation in ways that could be quite disruptive to the entrenched advertising industry,” added Mark Fernandes of Sierra Ventures. “Spotzer will enable a completely new and large segment of the market to effectively use video advertising across multiple media channels.”

“Spotzer is moving very quickly in developing capabilities that yellow page publishers want to leverage,” commented European Directories Chief Executive Cornel Riklin. “We look forward to sharing our experiences and working together to capitalize on a number of strong market opportunities.”

Spotzer was started last year by five-time entrepreneur Klein and award-winning Dutch commercial director Thed Lenssen. Existing investors include Cyrte Investments, a Dutch based asset manager that operates several funds including a telecom, media and technology fund.

About Spotzer Media Group

The first global “long tail” advertising agency, Spotzer offers turn-key multi-media video ad campaigns to local businesses around the world. Through the group’s platform (www.spotzer.com) advertisers can license and then personalize a high-quality video commercial for remarkably low fees. Advertisers can also create geographically and demographically targeted media plans and purchase advertising time on television, Web sites and out-of-home TV networks.

About Sierra Ventures

Sierra Ventures, founded in 1982, is a privately held venture capital firm focused on investments across all areas of the information technology sector from semiconductors to enterprise software. Sierra Ventures has managed nine venture capital partnerships and currently has more than $1.5 billion of capital under management. Some of the firm’s investments include 360Commerce (acquired by Oracle), Active Software (acquired by WebMethods), AmeriGroup (AGP), Authentec (AUTH), Centex (acquired by WorldCom), ConvergeNet (acquired by Dell), FatBrain (acquired by Barnes & Noble), Frontbridge (acquired by Microsoft), Healtheon (merged with WebMD), Interact Commerce (acquired by Sage), Intuit (INTU), Micromuse (acquired by IBM), OnAssignment (ASGN), OnLink (acquired by Siebel), Quinta (acquired by Seagate), StrataCom (acquired by Cisco), Sourcefire (FIRE), Sychip (acquired by Murata Manufacturing) and Teradata (acquired by NCR). More information is available at http://www.sierraventures.com.

About European Directories

European Directories (www.europeandirectories.com) is a pan-European directory services group, operating in printed directories, online and mobile searches and directory assistance. It holds the leading market position in the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic and Slovakia and has a strong presence in Sweden, Poland and Gibraltar. The company has approximately 4,500 employees and services over 750,000 advertisers with long established brands including De Telefoongids, Herold, De Gule Sider, Fonecta and Zlaté Stránky. The company is owned by a consortium led by Macquarie Capital Alliance Group and including Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Macquarie Bank and Nikko Principal Investments.