Upfront Ventures

Upfront Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 1996 and based in Santa Monica, California, with additional offices in Los Angeles. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, focusing on technology-led companies across various sectors, including digital media, e-commerce, financial services, software, and healthcare technology. Upfront Ventures primarily invests in North America, particularly in Southern California, San Francisco, and New York, while also considering opportunities in Europe and Latin America. The firm typically invests between $0.5 million and $15 million in seed rounds and $2 million to $5 million in Series A rounds, with the intention of reserving follow-on capital for future financing. Upfront Ventures is known for its long-term partnerships with startup founders and has backed notable companies such as Ring and Maker Studios. The firm is led by Managing Partners Yves Sisteron, Mark Suster, and Kara Nortman, and takes an active role in its portfolio companies by securing board seats.

Nina Steinberg Freedman

Director of Research

AJ Herrera

Investor

Stuart Lander

Chief Operating Partner

Pierre Morin

General Partner

Jacques Sisteron

Investor

Seksom Suriyapa

Partner

Kesar Varma

Investor

Hamet Watt

Board Partner

Peter Zakin

Investor

Katherine Zhang

Investor

Past deals in Marketing

Invoca

Series F in 2022
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

Arcade

Seed Round in 2022
Developer of an interactive demo platform designed to market brands. The company's platform provides a web development page for its users to build and design websites with personalizations to showcase their products, enabling companies to boost customer engagement and increase their brand value.

Market AI

Seed Round in 2021
Market is a business focused on enhancing financial health and fostering partnerships within various industries. Founded in 2019 and based in Santa Monica, California, it provides advisory services that assist direct-to-consumer and app-based companies in gaining insights into their financial performance. By offering analytics and insights, Market empowers businesses to make informed decisions and improve their overall financial health. Additionally, Market facilitates better understanding among companies, helping them identify and connect with potential partners to drive growth.

Adway

Seed Round in 2021
Adway International, Inc. is a company that specializes in out-of-home advertising services, particularly through its innovative digital vehicular advertisement platform. Founded in 2018 and based in Beverly Hills, California, Adway enables advertisers to launch and track campaigns on a flexible and targeted basis. The company's unique approach involves equipping personal and company vehicles with attachable devices that project media content onto the vehicle's sides. This allows for geo-fenced advertising that can be displayed at specific locations and times, providing brands with the ability to connect directly with consumers while offering drivers a way to earn passive income without the need for traditional advertising methods like large rooftop displays or physical wraps.

Adway

Seed Round in 2021
Adway International, Inc. is a company that specializes in out-of-home advertising services, particularly through its innovative digital vehicular advertisement platform. Founded in 2018 and based in Beverly Hills, California, Adway enables advertisers to launch and track campaigns on a flexible and targeted basis. The company's unique approach involves equipping personal and company vehicles with attachable devices that project media content onto the vehicle's sides. This allows for geo-fenced advertising that can be displayed at specific locations and times, providing brands with the ability to connect directly with consumers while offering drivers a way to earn passive income without the need for traditional advertising methods like large rooftop displays or physical wraps.

GumGum

Series E in 2021
GumGum, Inc. is a technology and media company based in Santa Monica, California, specializing in in-image advertising and visual intelligence solutions. Founded in 2006, it provides a variety of services including influencer marketing, site monetization, community management, and targeted media buying. The company’s proprietary technology utilizes machine learning and deep learning to deliver contextual advertising, enabling brands to effectively engage with their target audiences. GumGum's visual intelligence platform, along with its contextual advertising engine, Verity™, allows advertisers to safely and accurately place ads alongside relevant content. Additionally, GumGum offers tools such as AdBuilder, which enables brands to customize and launch in-image and in-screen advertisements. The company has expanded its presence with offices in various cities across the United States, as well as in London and Sydney, enhancing its ability to serve clients globally.

GumGum

Series D in 2020
GumGum, Inc. is a technology and media company based in Santa Monica, California, specializing in in-image advertising and visual intelligence solutions. Founded in 2006, it provides a variety of services including influencer marketing, site monetization, community management, and targeted media buying. The company’s proprietary technology utilizes machine learning and deep learning to deliver contextual advertising, enabling brands to effectively engage with their target audiences. GumGum's visual intelligence platform, along with its contextual advertising engine, Verity™, allows advertisers to safely and accurately place ads alongside relevant content. Additionally, GumGum offers tools such as AdBuilder, which enables brands to customize and launch in-image and in-screen advertisements. The company has expanded its presence with offices in various cities across the United States, as well as in London and Sydney, enhancing its ability to serve clients globally.

Market AI

Seed Round in 2019
Market is a business focused on enhancing financial health and fostering partnerships within various industries. Founded in 2019 and based in Santa Monica, California, it provides advisory services that assist direct-to-consumer and app-based companies in gaining insights into their financial performance. By offering analytics and insights, Market empowers businesses to make informed decisions and improve their overall financial health. Additionally, Market facilitates better understanding among companies, helping them identify and connect with potential partners to drive growth.

Invoca

Series E in 2019
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

Adway

Seed Round in 2019
Adway International, Inc. is a company that specializes in out-of-home advertising services, particularly through its innovative digital vehicular advertisement platform. Founded in 2018 and based in Beverly Hills, California, Adway enables advertisers to launch and track campaigns on a flexible and targeted basis. The company's unique approach involves equipping personal and company vehicles with attachable devices that project media content onto the vehicle's sides. This allows for geo-fenced advertising that can be displayed at specific locations and times, providing brands with the ability to connect directly with consumers while offering drivers a way to earn passive income without the need for traditional advertising methods like large rooftop displays or physical wraps.

mitú

Series D in 2018
mitú connect brands, content buyers, and creators to Latino youth in America. It is a home away from home for Latinos in the U.S. They are young, edgy, smart, loud, funny, relevant, proud, and united.They are what it means to be Latino.

Pathmatics

Corporate Round in 2018
Pathmatics, Inc. is a digital advertising intelligence platform that serves advertisers, agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. Founded in 2009 and based in Santa Monica, California, the company offers a comprehensive suite of data across display, social, video, mobile, and native advertising. Its Pathsource technology identifies key participants in the ad serving process, providing insights into digital ad performance for brands, competitors, and industries. By aggregating extensive marketing data, Pathmatics empowers users to optimize media strategies, minimize budget waste, and anticipate competitors' actions. The platform is integral to Nielsen’s digital ad intelligence and Kantar Media’s Facebook intelligence, and is utilized by leading agencies such as Mindshare and Mediacom. Pathmatics aims to simplify the complex landscape of digital marketing by transforming data into actionable insights.

Cordial

Series B in 2018
Creating engaging, tailored customers experiences is difficult with rigid legacy architecture and fragmented data. Cordial enables you to collect, normalize, and activate real-time data from anywhere in your technology stack to create and deliver tailored messages that flex and adapt to changing customer signals. Over 200 brands, including 1-800 Contacts, La Quinta and Revolve, use Cordial to consolidate redundant technology, eliminate data silos, remove internal friction, and create brand experiences that drive bottom-line impact.

Cordial

Series A in 2017
Creating engaging, tailored customers experiences is difficult with rigid legacy architecture and fragmented data. Cordial enables you to collect, normalize, and activate real-time data from anywhere in your technology stack to create and deliver tailored messages that flex and adapt to changing customer signals. Over 200 brands, including 1-800 Contacts, La Quinta and Revolve, use Cordial to consolidate redundant technology, eliminate data silos, remove internal friction, and create brand experiences that drive bottom-line impact.

Invoca

Series D in 2016
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

mitú

Series C in 2016
mitú connect brands, content buyers, and creators to Latino youth in America. It is a home away from home for Latinos in the U.S. They are young, edgy, smart, loud, funny, relevant, proud, and united.They are what it means to be Latino.

Unified

Series B in 2015
Unified Enterprises, Corp. is a marketing and analytics technology company that specializes in connecting marketing data sets to optimize advertising investments. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York City, with additional offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta, Unified offers a range of services, including advertising strategy and execution, professional data solutions, and campaign automation. The company's proprietary business intelligence platform is designed specifically for social advertising, enabling marketers to make informed decisions by providing insights into their data and strategies. Unified has a proven track record of managing over one billion dollars in social investment data, serving Fortune 2000 brands and advertising agencies to enhance transparency and optimize marketing performance.

GumGum

Series C in 2015
GumGum, Inc. is a technology and media company based in Santa Monica, California, specializing in in-image advertising and visual intelligence solutions. Founded in 2006, it provides a variety of services including influencer marketing, site monetization, community management, and targeted media buying. The company’s proprietary technology utilizes machine learning and deep learning to deliver contextual advertising, enabling brands to effectively engage with their target audiences. GumGum's visual intelligence platform, along with its contextual advertising engine, Verity™, allows advertisers to safely and accurately place ads alongside relevant content. Additionally, GumGum offers tools such as AdBuilder, which enables brands to customize and launch in-image and in-screen advertisements. The company has expanded its presence with offices in various cities across the United States, as well as in London and Sydney, enhancing its ability to serve clients globally.

Mitu NGL

Series B in 2015
MiTú is a Latino lifestyle network that specializes in health, beauty, food, family, home, and pop culture. It aggregates content from over 1,200 partners, attracting an audience that generates approximately 400 million views monthly. The platform is designed to connect brands, buyers, and creators with Latino youth in America, offering lifestyle programming tailored for a bilingual audience. As a division of Latido Networks, which targets Hispanic audiences under GoDigital Media Group, MiTú aims to enhance the video experience for Latino users while fostering engagement with diverse content.

mitú

Series B in 2015
mitú connect brands, content buyers, and creators to Latino youth in America. It is a home away from home for Latinos in the U.S. They are young, edgy, smart, loud, funny, relevant, proud, and united.They are what it means to be Latino.

Retention Science

Series A in 2014
Retention Science Inc. operates an automated software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing platform that specializes in retention marketing. The platform allows users to profile and predict customer behavior by analyzing behavioral, transactional, and demographic data. By delivering relevant and timely messaging, Retention Science helps clients keep their customers engaged and encourage repeat purchases. The platform supports targeted multi-channel marketing campaigns through various channels, including email, onsite displays, mobile, and call centers, delivering tailored incentives based on customer behavior and loyalty. Founded in 2011 and based in Santa Monica, California, Retention Science serves notable clients such as Target and Neiman Marcus. The company simplifies sophisticated data science and marketing automation, making it accessible for all marketing teams. As of August 2020, Retention Science operates as a subsidiary of Endurance International Group Holdings.

Mitu NGL

Series B in 2014
MiTú is a Latino lifestyle network that specializes in health, beauty, food, family, home, and pop culture. It aggregates content from over 1,200 partners, attracting an audience that generates approximately 400 million views monthly. The platform is designed to connect brands, buyers, and creators with Latino youth in America, offering lifestyle programming tailored for a bilingual audience. As a division of Latido Networks, which targets Hispanic audiences under GoDigital Media Group, MiTú aims to enhance the video experience for Latino users while fostering engagement with diverse content.

mitú

Series B in 2014
mitú connect brands, content buyers, and creators to Latino youth in America. It is a home away from home for Latinos in the U.S. They are young, edgy, smart, loud, funny, relevant, proud, and united.They are what it means to be Latino.

Media Redefined

Convertible Note in 2014
Media Redefined was a Social Media Agency that started in January, 2009. It closed down its operations on 18th July, 2012 and sold the domain and digital assets to an undisclosed individual. Some of the brands with which Media Redefined worked extensively include - Samsung, Maruti, Aircel, Micromax, NIIT, NASSCOM, etc. The founders can be contacted at: catchme@praval.com gauravtechie@gmail.com honeytech@gmail.com

Invoca

Series C in 2014
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

Adly

Venture Round in 2013
Adly Inc. is a digital marketing software and services provider that facilitates partnerships between brands and influencers to enhance audience engagement and drive sales. The company offers tools for data-driven audience targeting, in-stream social advertising, and real-time events designed to generate leads and actionable insights. Adly supports brands by identifying suitable influencers, executing strategic campaigns, and monitoring performance through its offerings, which include AudienceIQ for intelligent audience matching and Campaign Builder for customized advertising solutions. Since its inception in 2009, Adly has collaborated with over 150 major brands, successfully executing more than 25,000 celebrity-driven activations. The company is based in Beverly Hills, California.

Pathmatics

Seed Round in 2013
Pathmatics, Inc. is a digital advertising intelligence platform that serves advertisers, agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. Founded in 2009 and based in Santa Monica, California, the company offers a comprehensive suite of data across display, social, video, mobile, and native advertising. Its Pathsource technology identifies key participants in the ad serving process, providing insights into digital ad performance for brands, competitors, and industries. By aggregating extensive marketing data, Pathmatics empowers users to optimize media strategies, minimize budget waste, and anticipate competitors' actions. The platform is integral to Nielsen’s digital ad intelligence and Kantar Media’s Facebook intelligence, and is utilized by leading agencies such as Mindshare and Mediacom. Pathmatics aims to simplify the complex landscape of digital marketing by transforming data into actionable insights.

Invoca

Venture Round in 2012
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

awe.sm

Venture Round in 2011
Awe.sm specializes in measuring the effectiveness of social marketing campaigns by linking them to business outcomes such as signups and purchases. The company serves a diverse clientele, including brands and developers in technology, media, and retail sectors. Awe.sm offers a marketer-facing product that allows brands to analyze the impact of their social media posts, particularly on Twitter. This reporting tool provides insights into various metrics, including sales, registrations, and subscriptions generated from individual posts, along with engagement statistics such as views, shares, and replies. Additionally, it offers optimization recommendations to enhance future marketing efforts. Awe.sm also provides a suite of developer APIs that enable custom link tracking and data retrieval related to social interactions. These APIs support the development of marketing automation tools, social applications, and customer engagement programs, thereby enhancing the overall marketing strategy for businesses.

GumGum

Series B in 2011
GumGum, Inc. is a technology and media company based in Santa Monica, California, specializing in in-image advertising and visual intelligence solutions. Founded in 2006, it provides a variety of services including influencer marketing, site monetization, community management, and targeted media buying. The company’s proprietary technology utilizes machine learning and deep learning to deliver contextual advertising, enabling brands to effectively engage with their target audiences. GumGum's visual intelligence platform, along with its contextual advertising engine, Verity™, allows advertisers to safely and accurately place ads alongside relevant content. Additionally, GumGum offers tools such as AdBuilder, which enables brands to customize and launch in-image and in-screen advertisements. The company has expanded its presence with offices in various cities across the United States, as well as in London and Sydney, enhancing its ability to serve clients globally.

awe.sm

Seed Round in 2010
Awe.sm specializes in measuring the effectiveness of social marketing campaigns by linking them to business outcomes such as signups and purchases. The company serves a diverse clientele, including brands and developers in technology, media, and retail sectors. Awe.sm offers a marketer-facing product that allows brands to analyze the impact of their social media posts, particularly on Twitter. This reporting tool provides insights into various metrics, including sales, registrations, and subscriptions generated from individual posts, along with engagement statistics such as views, shares, and replies. Additionally, it offers optimization recommendations to enhance future marketing efforts. Awe.sm also provides a suite of developer APIs that enable custom link tracking and data retrieval related to social interactions. These APIs support the development of marketing automation tools, social applications, and customer engagement programs, thereby enhancing the overall marketing strategy for businesses.

Invoca

Series B in 2010
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

Adly

Series B in 2010
Adly Inc. is a digital marketing software and services provider that facilitates partnerships between brands and influencers to enhance audience engagement and drive sales. The company offers tools for data-driven audience targeting, in-stream social advertising, and real-time events designed to generate leads and actionable insights. Adly supports brands by identifying suitable influencers, executing strategic campaigns, and monitoring performance through its offerings, which include AudienceIQ for intelligent audience matching and Campaign Builder for customized advertising solutions. Since its inception in 2009, Adly has collaborated with over 150 major brands, successfully executing more than 25,000 celebrity-driven activations. The company is based in Beverly Hills, California.

Adly

Seed Round in 2009
Adly Inc. is a digital marketing software and services provider that facilitates partnerships between brands and influencers to enhance audience engagement and drive sales. The company offers tools for data-driven audience targeting, in-stream social advertising, and real-time events designed to generate leads and actionable insights. Adly supports brands by identifying suitable influencers, executing strategic campaigns, and monitoring performance through its offerings, which include AudienceIQ for intelligent audience matching and Campaign Builder for customized advertising solutions. Since its inception in 2009, Adly has collaborated with over 150 major brands, successfully executing more than 25,000 celebrity-driven activations. The company is based in Beverly Hills, California.

GumGum

Series A in 2009
GumGum, Inc. is a technology and media company based in Santa Monica, California, specializing in in-image advertising and visual intelligence solutions. Founded in 2006, it provides a variety of services including influencer marketing, site monetization, community management, and targeted media buying. The company’s proprietary technology utilizes machine learning and deep learning to deliver contextual advertising, enabling brands to effectively engage with their target audiences. GumGum's visual intelligence platform, along with its contextual advertising engine, Verity™, allows advertisers to safely and accurately place ads alongside relevant content. Additionally, GumGum offers tools such as AdBuilder, which enables brands to customize and launch in-image and in-screen advertisements. The company has expanded its presence with offices in various cities across the United States, as well as in London and Sydney, enhancing its ability to serve clients globally.

Invoca

Series A in 2009
Invoca, Inc. is a company that specializes in AI-powered call tracking and analytics, offering a platform designed to enhance inbound phone marketing. The platform enables marketers to obtain campaign attribution and actionable insights from phone calls, allowing them to understand customer motivations, gather real-time intelligence about callers, and analyze conversation content. Invoca's suite of tools includes call and voice analytics, a real-time engagement engine for automating customer interactions, and an integration hub that connects call intelligence with marketing and sales applications. Its products are tailored for performance marketers and include features such as conversation intelligence and reporting. Invoca also provides solutions compatible with various platforms, including AdWords, Facebook, and Salesforce, catering to consumer and business-to-business marketers as well as agencies. Founded in 2007 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Invoca was previously known as RingRevenue and rebranded in 2013. The company also maintains offices in San Francisco and Denver.

Mercata

Series C in 2000
Mercata, an e-commerce company that brings customers together to drive down prices on a wide variety of products.

Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions

Venture Round in 1999
Yahoo Search Marketing provides a keyword-based "Pay per click" or "Sponsored search" Internet advertising service. Yahoo began to offer this service after it acquired GoTo that became Overture Services. GoTo was an Idealab spin off and was the first company to provide successfully a pay-for-placement search service following previous attempts that users did not receive well..

Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions

Venture Round in 1998
Yahoo Search Marketing provides a keyword-based "Pay per click" or "Sponsored search" Internet advertising service. Yahoo began to offer this service after it acquired GoTo that became Overture Services. GoTo was an Idealab spin off and was the first company to provide successfully a pay-for-placement search service following previous attempts that users did not receive well..
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