BlueKai Secures $21M in Third Round of Funding

Advertising data provider BlueKai has secured $21 million in a C round of funding led by GGV Capital (formerly known as Granite Global Ventures). The round also included funding from previous backers Redpoint Ventures and Battery Ventures.

The latest infusion dwarfs its two previous funding rounds, which together totaled $13.7 million.

BlueKai, which is based in Bellevue, WA, simultaneously announced that it would be adding Jeff Richards, a partner at GGV Capital, to its board of directors.

“This round will be used to scale our business by continuing to innovate how data is bought and sold while at the same time driving transparency for consumers,” Omar Tawakol, CEO of BlueKai, said in a written statement. “In particular, BlueKai is rapidly deploying new APIs and real-time systems that allow networks, demand side platforms and agency trading desks to build the BlueKai marketplace into their own offerings.”

BlueKai is one of several companies hoping to separate the sale of online ad data from media buying. It allows marketers to create custom audience segments and reach prospects by matching those audience segments to available inventory from portals and ad networks.

In august, the company set up a program to certify its purchase intent data for sale through portals, ad networks, and other sellers in hope of easing what can be a burdensome and confusing process for agencies.