DataPop raises $1.7M for paid search ads

The ad platform is backed by Rincon Venture Partners, IA Ventures, Momentum, Accelerator, and angels

DataPop, a paid search ad platform, announced Thursday the close of $1.7 million Series A round led by Rincon Venture Partners, with help from IA Ventures, Momentum Ventures, Accelerator Ventures, and a number of angel investors.

Founded in 2008 by CEO Jason Lehmbeck and COO John Zimmerman, Yahoo and Overture Services veterans, DataPop helps clients create customized ad campaigns that deliver relevant ads to Web users.  The process starts with your information: DataPop’s automated system seamlessly translates data such as product information, brand, size, color, pricing, and promotions to create specifically tailored ads. 

From there the service determines user intent based on keyword combinations, search patterns, and geo-targeting to deliver relevant ads to Web users.  The service also provides real-time data, raw query and performance data from publishers, and conversion rates.

The site is currently in private beta mode, and will be rolling out a self-serve platform within the next year.

“DataPop was founded to free marketers from the minutiae of manually managing online ad campaigns. Our technology platform is the first to enable marketers to use the unique attributes of their offers to dynamically generate customized, higher performing ad campaigns,” said Jason Lehmbeck in the company’s announcement.

DataPop was recently selected by LaunchPad LA to participate in its mentorship program.  Created by Mark Suster from GRP Partners, LaunchPad LA brings together seasoned VCs and experienced entrepreneurs and CEOs from southern California to work with early stage startups.

“Of the 23 companies that have gone through LaunchPad LA, DataPop is clearly one of the strongest based on the quality of their team and technology,” said Mark Suster in a prepared statement.

DataPop was a mentee in LaunchPad’s second class, which consisted of ten startups, including genetics-information site AccessDNA, online marketplace AwesomeBox, cloud-based distribution network Circle Street, and more.

“The whole goal of the program is to see more Southern California companies get funded,” Suster recently told the Wall Street Journal. 

That goal seems to be working out for most of the startups that participate in LaunchPad’s program.  Out of the 13 startups that participated in the first session, 11 went on to raise funds.  DataPop has clearly also succeeded in raising funds.

The company claims to be working with several leading consumer brands, including La-Z-Boy.

Image source: datapop.com