ATALANTE VENTURES MEZZOGIORNO INVESTS 2 MILLION EURO IN ADMANTX

• The Venture Capital Fund of Intesa Sanpaolo will subscribe a 2 million euro capital increase

• ADmantX's Cookie-Less Targeting; Ability to analyze reader emotion assures superior contextual placement of online ads

Milan, Naples, June 8 2011 - Atlante Ventures Mezzogiorno, a venture capital Fund of Intesa Sanpaolo - subscribed for its 50% by the Department of Digitalization and Innovation of the Italian Ministry for Public Administration and Innovation - has signed an agreement to invest in ADmantX, the web service that offers an advanced semantic page-level analysis that understands reader emotions, behaviors, motivations and intentions in order to match ads with similar emotional appeal, without using tracking cookies.

This is the first outside equity funding since ADmantX, a Naples based start up, was spun off last year from Expert System, the global leading provider of semantic software. According to the investment agreement the 2 million euro capital increase will be subscribed in two tranches, the first of which will be completed as soon as the appropriate clearance will be obtained from the antitrust authority, and will be used by the company to complete the development of the software platform and prepare its market entry.

ADmantX goes beyond relevant SEO and flat keyword-based terms, ensuring brand protection against questionable content for publishers, ad networks and various buy and sell platforms. It also incorporates emotional intelligence into the mix, increasing campaign segmentation and targeting for better ad reach and success. Combining semantics, natural language processing and social collaboration, ADmantX brings creativity back to advertising.

Atlante Ventures Mezzogiorno will hold a minority share in Admantx, with Expert System maintaining a majority. Funding will be used to quickly grow the sales staff and marketing presence of ADmantX.

"We are proud to invest in the spin-off of one of the most significant semantic web applications dedicated to innovating such a rapidly growing, international market,” said Davide Turco, head of Atlante Ventures Mezzogiorno. “Furthermore, we strongly believe in the opportunity of basing this start up in Southern Italy and we are committed to working with the ADmantX leadership team to affirm ADmantX solutions in key international markets, starting with the USA , Northern Europe and of course Italy.”

“Because of its root in semantic technology, we are able to offer many unique benefits to publishers,” says Stefano Spaggiari, CEO of ADmantX. “ADmantX has proven its ability to successfully support a brand’s psychological positioning by displaying deep understanding of the emotions evoked by adjacent content, and we are well positioned to offer publishers an alternative to cookie-based ad targeting should there be legislation that curbs its appeal.”

ADmantX (www.admantx.com) uses superior semantic technology to provide a leap forward in monetizing content in new and powerful ways. Based on the Semantic Web, Natural Language Processing and Social Collaboration features, publishers, ad networks, ad exchanges, brand managers and agencies use ADmantX to develop effective online advertising campaigns that establish emotional connections with consumers.

Atlante Ventures Mezzogiorno (http://www.imiinvestimenti.it/fondi-chiusi-it/fondo-atlante-mezzo.htm) is a €25 million fund part of the Intesa Sanpaolo group specializing in new ventures in information technology with a focus on digital technology companies based in Southern Italy. The fund is subscribed for its 50% by the Intesa Sanpaolo Group and for the remaining 50% by the Department of Digitalization and Innovation of the Italian Ministry for Public Administration and Innovation. It was founded in 2009 and has a duration of 10 years. Thanks to the wide reach of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group network and its connections with the most important industries and academic institution in Italy, Atlante Ventures Mezzogiorno is an ideal partner for start ups and SMEs based in Southern Italy active in the development of digital technology based business.

 

Contacts

Intesa Sanpaolo

Media Relations - Corporate e Investment Banking

tel. +39.02.8796.3851 / 3010

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com

 

AdmantX

Media Relationship - Francesca Spaggiari

Tel. +39.059.894011

ufficiostampa@admantx.com