Nexage is hoping to expand the capabilities of its mobile ad exchange with the launch of a new service called Nexage Connect.
Mark Connon, the company’s executive vice president of corporate and business development, said advertisers and publishers can do a number of things (largely related to targeting) in the desktop world that they don’t have easy access to in mobile due to restrictions on third-party cookies. So Nexage is taking a platform-style approach by integrating with outside services.
For example, one of the company’s initial partners is PlaceIQ, which can give advertisers more location analytics about the people viewing their ads. Another is TRUSTe, which allows publishers to give readers an opt-out option from behavioral targeting. Nexage Connect is launching with four partners, and Chief Marketing Officer Victor Milligan said the company plans to “expand the number of ecosystem partners” significantly next year.
In many cases, Nexage customers could integrate these services on their own, but in this case Nexage gets to handle all the technical hassles, and it offers a single place where advertisers and publishers can add services as desired. The exact details of the integration will differ from company to company, but Connon said there will “literally be check boxes to allow these attributes.”
Nexage recently raised a $15 million Series B from SingTel Innov8, Hearst, and others.