Berlin startup TVSMILES creates successful business model using audioid technology from mufin
Television advertisers are fighting harder than ever to get viewer attention. According to a Nielsen study, 84% of American smartphone and tablet owners use their mobile devices while they watch television . This Second Screen trend has become a powerful source of inspiration for new business models. TVSMILES, a German startup, has received 7 million dollars in its Series A financial round. Their application uses audioid technology from mufin to identify commercials and offer matching games and quizzes.
Audio recognition technology
mufin entwickelt auf der Basis von digitaler Signalverarbeitung Technologien zur automatischen Identifikation von Audiosignalen sowie zur Musikempfehlung. Die Produkte werden als Whitelabel-Softwarelösung für das Business-to-Business-Segment lizenziert. Seit 2011 bietet mufin spezialisierte Lösungen für die Bereiche Second Screen und interaktive Werbung an. Mithilfe der Audio-Erkennungstechnologie können sich mobile Applikationen in Echtzeit mit dem laufenden TV-Programm synchronisieren oder Werbeclips erkennen. Damit bietet mufin Second Screen App-Anbietern vielseitige Lösungen zur Realisierung von interaktiven Anwendungen mit einer exzellenten User Experience. Die mufin GmbH ist eine Tochtergesellschaft der MAGIX AG mit Sitz in Berlin.
“The recognition of TV commercials is a central function of our app“, comments TVSMILES Managing Director Frederic Westerberg. “We needed to find a partner that could provide us with solid, dependable software. mufin‘s technology was very convincing.“
The advertising market is looking for solutions
The TV advertising market is facing a great challenge. On the one hand, simultaneous surfing on the Internet has the potential to distract viewers from the commercials. On the other hand, the Second Screen trend presents an opportunity to create more effective TV advertisements. The playful gaming and reward approach offered by TVSMILES creates direct interaction with the target group and advertisers can profit from the additional branding effect.
“More and more TV networks, producers and advertisers are starting to recognize the new income models becoming available as a result of the changing behaviour in the use of media“, explains Jörg Stüber, CEO of mufin GmbH. “Our audioid technology will enable many exciting projects this year.“
About mufin
mufin develops technology for the automatic identification of audio signals and music recommendation based on digital signal processing. These products are licensed as white label software solutions for the business-to-business sector. mufin has been providing specialized solutions for second screen applications and interactive advertising since 2011. The audio recognition technology enables mobile applications to synchronize with TV programs in real-time or to detect commercials, which in turn enables mufin to offer second screen app providers with diverse solutions for the integration of user-friendly interactive applications. mufin GmbH is a subsidiary of Bellevue Investments GmbH & Co. KGaA and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
About TVSMILES
TVSMILES is a bonus program for TV advertising. TV viewers are rewarded for watching and playfully interacting with commercials. With the TVSMILES Mobile App, which recognizes commercial spots on TV, viewers can play for „Smiles“ and exchange them for attractive bonuses. TVSMILES enables dialog marketing and viewer interaction directly from the TV commercial and acts as a bridge between TV advertising, digital marketing and the point-of-sale. The company was founded by Frederic Westerberg, Gaylord Zach and Christian Heins at the beginning of 2013 and is supported by venture capital funds. TVSMILES is exclusivley marketed by the ProSiebenSat.1 marketing company SevenOne Media.