A former Apple director and Social Chain co-founder have invested in an advertising technology company whose clients include Coca-Cola, VW and Sky.
Illuma has been backed by Colin Greene, Apple’s former director of US consumer retail, as well as Dominic McGregor who set up Social Chain with Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett.
The London-based firm has also secured investment from Manchester-headquartered Praetura Ventures whose portfolio includes Peak, Sorted and BankiFi.
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Illuma uses contextual signals from live advertising campaigns to "help brands make better decisions about where to place ads in real time", without using personal data or cookies, which are being phased out.
As well as investing Mr Greene, who is responsible for supporting Praetura’s portfolio companies and founders as an operational partner, will also join the Illuma board.
Fellow operational partner Dominic McGregor, who is also investing through Praetura Ventures, will work with Illuma as a consultant to aid the company’s expansion into social.
Illuma plans to use the investment to expand beyond display ads and into connected TV, audio and social media.
The company is also aiming to grow its technology, business development and client services teams as well as increase its presence in the US. Financial details of the investment are undisclosed.
Mr Greene said: "Having worked for over a decade at one of the biggest technology companies in the world responsible for the elimination of cookies, I know how important the privacy debate has been in completely reshaping the market.
"Illuma, like all great disruptors, has not only seen an opportunity to shift the needle but is also having an immense amount of success doing so, which isn’t always easy in a space that’s as established as advertising."
Mr McGregor added: "Illuma Technology’s ad platform is an incredibly exciting prospect for advertisers, who are constantly looking for innovative ways to improve ROI and reach audiences they may not be targeting currently.
"With ongoing conversations around privacy and the future of advertising after cookies, Illuma is well poised to disrupt the industry and do something incredibly unique and exciting."
Peter Mason, co-founder and CEO of Illuma, said: "Illuma has the privilege of being the right technology at the exact right moment in time, and we are excited to be offering a solution to the greatest challenge in digital advertising.
"Bolstered by this new investment from Praetura and with the unparalleled expertise of Colin Greene and Dominic McGregor guiding our next steps, the future looks very bright indeed for Illuma and the brands we work with."
