Australian business heavyweights back revolutionary ad-funded smartphone tech

Transcription

1 Australian business heavyweights back revolutionary ad-funded smartphone tech USA & UK expansion; $50m revenue run rate forecast next year Australian digital technology start-up, Unlockd,has raised double digit millions in its third capital raising ahead of its major product debut in Australia and the US. Unlockd, founded by Chris Kerrisk, Craig Watt and Matt Berriman, is pioneering a new business model for the telecommunications industry which allows consumers to pay for part of their usage when they view advertising, deals and content upon unlocking their phone. The service launched with leading MVNO Lebara Mobile today, to be followed shortly by a tier one US Telco operator early next year. Investors now include some of the most respected names in the technology, media and finance industries: Matt Rockman (Seek.com), Andrew Walsh (Hitwise), Gabby and Hezi Leibovich (Catch of the Day Group), Sam Mostyn (Board member, Virgin Australia & AFL Commission), Margaret Jackson (Spotless Chair), and Peter Gammell (Former MD and CEO Seven Group Holdings). The business has also secured involvement from international investors from the US and UK along with heavyweights such as PLC Investments from Hong Kong, led by Citibank Vice Chairman Jeff Emmanuel. Our group was particularly attracted to Unlockd because it is such a clever and simple innovation. It helps solve such a large problem facing the global telecommunications industry, that of falling ARPU s, said Founder and Director of PLC Venture Capital, Jeff Emmanuel. UNLOCKD.COM

2 Matt Berriman, CEO and co-founder of Unlockd, said the Unlockd solution would forever change the way people use and pay for their smartphones both in Australia and internationally. This is a game changer because it generates new revenue streams and reduces churn for Telcos, whilst giving consumers a new way to pay for their smartphone usage and allows advertisers to reach that holy grail of geo-targeted, full-screen mobile advertising, said Mr Berriman. This is a global play and will be revenue generating from day one. Australian launch partner Lebara Mobile believes consumers are crying out for more data and this model allows them to access it without blowing their budgets. People have become extremely sophisticated with their smartphones and are using up more data than ever, said Lebara commercial director Michael Baxter. By partnering with Unlockd, we re giving Lebara customers the option to boost their data allowance and stay connected for longer, in return for a tailored and reward-driven experience. Lebara Mobile is one of the world s fastest growing MVNO brands. From October 26, Australian customers who download the app and opt-in to view a display ad, deal or piece of content, will be eligible for a bonus 2GB of data per month. All content, which will appear every three or four times they unlock their Android smartphone, can be dismissed instantly and is highly targeted, relevant and non-intrusive. Unlockd will launch in the United States shortly via an exclusive partnership with one of the USA s largest Telco operators. By the first quarter of next year Unlockd will have over 40 staff with offices in Melbourne, New York and London. By the end of 2016 it aims to have products featuring its technology available in UK, Indonesia, India, China and Singapore. UNLOCKD.COM

3 There is a large volume of confidence from the business impressive investor base. Unlockd has a rare combination for an investor of a world class management team, a truly global opportunity, a unique and patented technology platform and an initial cohort of significant Telco partners who are committed to rolling this out to their customers. These are the building blocks of what I think will be a great Australian success story, said Andrew Walsh, former CEO of Hitwise and founder of technology investor Tall Ventures. On the back of several significant capital injections, over the coming months Unlockd will establish itself globally and is currently on track to be turning over $50m revenue within the next year, said Mr Berriman, former General Manager of CC Media, which was acquired by APN in ends- For further information, please contact: Asher Moses Director Media & Capital Partners asher.moses@mcpartners.com.au UNLOCKD.COM

4 Tech Startup Unlockd Launches Ad-Funded Platform with High-Profile Publishers and Boost Mobile to Reduce Customer Phone Bills Partnerships with Yahoo, Twitter and major advertisers to Forever change The way consumers use and pay for their mobile phones NEW YORK (January 26, 2016) Unlockd, a mobile platform with over $15 million in funding from major investors in the global media and tech sectors, has partnered exclusively with Boost Mobile, one of Sprint s prepaid brands, to launch Boost Dealz - an Android app available for the U.S. market that s the first of its kind that helps customers reduce monthly phone payments in exchange for viewing exclusive content and offers when unlocking their smartphones. Boost Dealz is available to Boost s current and new customers. The app connects users with relevant brands and offers, and users receive a $5 credit each month. Geo-targeted ads, offers, discounts or content from brands such as Starbucks, and Lyft, are shown at various times as consumers unlock their Android smartphones. Users can interact for further information or dismiss ads with a simple click on the X. See Demo here: Our U.S. launch exclusively with Sprint Telecom is a realization of our vision to forever change the way consumers pay for and use their mobile phones. To be the driver for collaboration and benefit for some of the world s biggest media companies, a tier-one telco and the end consumer is a huge coup and a move that will positively transform both the mobile advertising landscape and telco industry, said Matt Berriman, CEO and Co-Founder of Unlockd. Not only is the model providing benefit back to consumers, it is breaking new ground for global telcos through the creation of new revenue streams from high-profile publishers and advertisers.

5 - 2 - Providing Boost subscribers with options to reduce their cost to communicate is in line with our goal of being the value leader in prepaid. Boost Dealz, built on the Unlockd solution, is an industryfirst, completely optional opportunity for our customers to earn value in exchange for learning about products and services aligned with their interests. In addition, it delivers a new revenue stream to our business while providing an innovative avenue for advertisers and media publishers to reach a highly targeted audience, said Doug Smith, Director of prepaid product marketing, Sprint Telecom. Unlockd is also powering search through Yahoo: We re excited to integrate Yahoo Search into Unlockd, enhancing the user experience, said Soujanya Bhumkar, VP, Global Partnerships at Yahoo. Our partnership with Unlockd is a strong indicator of our ongoing efforts to improve mobile user engagement, while powering monetization for our global partners. Unlockd is also partnering with Twitter and its ad-serving and supplyside platform MoPub. We're excited to be working with such a cuttingedge publisher. Unlockd s innovative creative unit, which offers buyers a unique full-screen mobile canvas coupled with key targeting aspects such as device ID, location, age, and gender, is the type of format that moves mobile advertising forward, said Kate Herbert, Sr. Director of Platform and Exchange Services at MoPub. The Melbourne-based company, co-founded by Matt Berriman, Chris Kerrisk and Craig Watt, executed a beta launch in its home country, Australia, in late October 2015 with Lebara Mobile, a European-based MVNO. Unlockd has quickly proven the strength of its patented technology, programmatic capabilities and business model, rapidly securing partnerships with major telcos in the U.S., U.K, Europe and Asia. Our group was particularly attracted to Unlockd because it is such a clever and simple innovation, said Unlockd investor Jeff Emmanuel, founder of PLC Venture Capital (former Citibank Vice Chairman) based in Hong Kong. It helps solve such a huge problem facing the global telecommunications industry, that of falling ARPU s [average revenue per user]. By the end of 2016, Unlockd will launch its innovative model in the U.K, Europe and Asia. -ends-

6 - 3 - ABOUT UNLOCKD Unlockd is a revolutionary mobile-based technology, media and telecommunications business, connecting brands, content and relevant media to the consumer via a proprietary platform. The platform is changing the way people use and pay for their mobile phones, providing an innovative solution for the telecommunications and digital advertising industries. Consumers receive a discount to their mobile phone bills, free additional data or handset payments in return for viewing full screen ads, content or offers upon unlocking their mobile phone. Founded in Melbourne, Unlockd now has offices in New York, Seattle, London and Paris with more than 50 staff across these regions. The business will have launched in over 6 international markets in Media inquires contact: Carolyn Petschler carolyn_petschler@dkcnews.com O: M: Kathleen Sampey kpsampey@gmail.com M: