This month, Built In Los Angeles will be featuring some “hot” startups across the various neighborhoods that, although may feel like different worlds at times, make up LA’s budding digital ecosystem. To recommend a startup or district of LA that deserves some love, email [email protected].
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In the “free app economy” in which we live (1.4 million apps on iOS and GooglePlay stories with over 50,000 apps added each month), Fairfax-based LeadBolt is leading the way by helping mobile apps get discovered and increase their profitability.
Leadbolt recently announced two new mobile ad formats: audio ads, which are already outperforming mobile banner ads by 30 percent, and floating ads, which allow users to ‘pop’ images that float in bubbles across the screen. Additionally with LeadBolt’s ad-serving technology and algorithm, the team is able to monitor app downloads and the engagement of the ad, “ensuring a better, more accurate match for the users,” CEO Dale Carr said. Built In LA caught up with Carr to see how his team will be carrying its success into the new year:
Why they do what they do: LeadBolt was launched in 2010 when it was quite common for mobile advertising to simply be a standard web ad on a smaller screen: “This was not only ineffective, but it neglected the incredible power the mobile medium offered above that of online advertising,” Carr said. “LeadBolt was formed to bridge this gap.”
Their stats: LeadBolt serves 5 billion ads a month across 65,000 apps in over 150 countries. The profitable company has over 55 people on its team across offices in Sydney, Australia and LA.
Why you should look out for them in 2014: “Our plans for 2014 include significantly scaling the US sales and marketing teams; we are looking into East coast and European expansion,” Carr said.
Their crib: “We encapsulate the startup culture,” Carr said of the Fairfax office which is decked out with dual screen monitors at every desk and, of course, employees’ own dogs that join them at the office from time to time. Their Wilshire Blvd. space is in a “lively” part of town with the Beverly Center and The Grove nearby. Also the team enjoys the company of Good, an integrated media platform for “all of us who give a damn,” right upstairs.
