Tag: Smile Vun Group

  • Former Networkplay CEO Sundaram launches PlatformPlay Media Ventures

    MUMBAI: Former Networkplay CEO Rammohan Sundaram has announced the launch of PlatformPlay Media Ventures.

    PlatformPlay Media Ventures will focus on devising the India Entry Strategy for digital businesses looking at increasing their presence in India.

    The new venture would be led by Sundaram as the chairman and managing director with majority stakes from SVG (Smile Vun Group) Media. He is expected to roll out multiple services related to digital advertising under the newly launched company.

    Sundaram said, “Last four plus years as an entrepreneur were filled with tremendous learning but I still have unfinished business with the digital space. With PlatformPlay, we would be the first of its kind firm focussing on “India Entry” for various international digital brands looking at either entering or expanding their footprint in the market.”

    “India is an important market for all growth focussed companies, and we at PlatformPlay have significant experience in launching large properties in the country, thus making us the preferred India entry partners. SVG Media‘s involvement as an investor adds to the belief of the idea. Domestically, we are focused on bringing the right audience for various categories of advertisers through some exclusive relationships that we are signing off now,” Sundaram added.

    SVG Media founder & CEO Manish Vij will join the board of PlatformPlay as SVG Media‘s representative.

    SVG Media is a digital media network operating market leading businesses such as Tyroo, PrecisionMatch, DGM and Velocity in Performance, Digital Data and Display respectively.

    Vij said, “SVG Media has a clear focus on investing and acquiring digital assets and being the launch pad for successful digital media businesses. Having concluded our transaction with DGM last year, we invested in PrecisionMatch and launched Velocity as an audience based network within the group. We were sure of investing in PlatformPlay when we first about it from Ram. Ram‘s skills, passion, commitment and energy are known to everyone in the industry. The fact that PlatformPlay will be led by Ram is enough to guarantee success.”

    “I have known Manish for over a decade and the understanding we have is immense. We are extremely confident that we would be trendsetting some of the digital brands in India in the near future.

    With the Indian digital advertising market headed to a $2 billion mark by 2016-17, it is going to see a lot of international entrants in the next few quarters. We are well poised to make the most of it with a few announcements already round the corner and aggressive focus on bringing web and mobile publishers which have engaging solutions for brands to capitalise on,” Sundaram concluded.

  • Gruner + Jahr’s Networkplay buys out Seventynine

    MUMBAI: Gruner + Jahr‘s Indian entity Networkplay has bought out Smile Vun Group‘s mobile ad network Seventynine.

    Seventynine is G+J‘s second digital acquisition in India after Networkplay, which was acquired by G+J earlier this year.

    According to the company, Gruner + Jahr intends to strengthen its digital presence in the Indian market. This new acquisition will help G+J and Networkplay fortify their competence and position in the mobile space.

    Seventynine will be an independent business unit under the Networkplay umbrella, with its management reporting directly into the board.

    The co-founders of Seventynine, Chirag Shah and Deven Dharamdasani will continue to lead the business post the buy-out.

    Smile Vun Group founder Manish Vij said, “Seventynine has great potential as a business and we are certain that its association with Gruner+Jahr will provide a global platform for the business to grow further.This alliance is the beginning of our relationship with Gruner+Jahr.”

    Gruner+Jahr International president Torsten-Jörn Klein said, “The expansion of Networkplay in the mobile space through the acquisition of Seventynine is clearly following our strategic commitment to grow our mobile business in the Indian market. G+J believes that in the Indian market, one of the fastest growing digital markets, the mobile segment will gain increasing importance. G+J is looking forward to further expand in that area together with Networkplay and the Seventynine team.”

    In the new group, Seventynine‘s immediate focus would be technology, product and expansion in South East Asia and Middle East.

    Seventynine was launched in April 2012 by Smile Vun Group with focus on rich media inventory especially videos and HTML5 to enrich user experience. The mobile ad-network recorded its first milestone in July 2012 when it clocked record growth by serving 700 Mn ad requests within three months of operation.

    Seventynine also possesses Seventynine App Analytics Service and Predictive Analytics Engine.