Weekly MarTech review: Phrasee $4m funding, Amobee acquires Videology, Marketo appoints new global president

In our review of last week’s MarTech news, we highlight Phrasee’s latest $4m funding, Amobee’s acquisition of Videology, and Marketo’s appointment of Mika Yamamoto as global president.

Phrasee lands $4m Series A funding to bring AI-powered copywriting to US.

What it is
Phrasee uses AI to power email subject lines, Facebook and Instagram ads, and push notifications that outperform copy written by humans. They work with clients across the globe, including Virgin, Domino’s, and The Times. Phrasee won 2017’s Most Innovative AI Company by CB Insights, and was one of the first AI companies in the world to implement an AI ethics policy.

Why it matters
Last week, Phrasee announced they’d received $4m in funding to expand growth from their London headquarters into the US market, opening an office in San Francisco. They expect to have 20+ people on the ground by February, which will mark the end of their fourth trading year. They finished their third year with 286% year-on-year growth. Their subject line product is world-leading, with nothing else like it. We sat down last week with their CEO Parry Malm for an in-depth Q&A on what’s coming. 

Amobee acquires video advertising firm Videology for $101.2m.

What it is
After Videology filed for bankruptcy in May, Sigtel-owned Amobee put in a bid for purchase. Last week, the deal was finalized at $101.2 million, fallen from $117.3m after adjustments.

Why it matters
Videology’s platform blends TV, social media, and digital, and its acquisition will build out Amobee’s digital marketing business, which helps clients reach and engage customers across multiple devices. It will also expand Amobee’s global reach across Asia Pacific, as well as bring senior talent to the team.

Marketo appoints Mika Yamamoto as new global president.

What it is
Yamamoto most recently served as Chief Digital Marketing Officer at SAP. Previous experience also include senior marketing, research, and strategy roles at Amazon, Microsoft, and Gartner.

Why it matters
She brings deep knowledge of the martech industry, CMO experience, and a customer-first focus that can accelerate Marketo into future growth. 

Before you go

• If you’re looking for an alternative to Facebook’s Partner Categories, V12 Data launched AudienceLink, which provides in-depth consumer data including shopping behavior, interests, and lifestyle.
• Salesforce Marketing Cloud announced a new integration with email marketing provider Litmus.
• Twitter seeks election integrity with a new policy in which advertisers promoting ads related to elections or legislative issues will have to be certified by Twitter.
• KPMG announced strategic alliance with marketing execution firm InnerWorkings, to help clients increase efficiency and boost savings on marketing collateral.
• If you’ve been swamped by Facebook messages and comments from potential and current customers, Digital Marketer launched Robot Chat Messenger Bot, which enables you to set up automatic responses.
• As if we didn’t already have more Facebook friends than we can name in real life, Facebook rolled out a new feature called “Things in Common.” It will appear as  a label above comments or listings by others on business, brands, or media page posts, aiming to widen the community and make it a more community-driven experience.
• Nearly half of the world’s top universities now teach blockchain.
• Scott Brinker brings us some ironic humor on “The New, New Rules of Marketing (Operations).”

See something we missed? Leave us a comment below!