Touch screen pioneer leads $1.4m investment in Blis Media

Media and technology company Blis Media has received a fresh tranche of funding worth $1.4m, led by two new investors.

Meridian Growth Capital, the investment vehicle of touch screen pioneer Hal Philipp, has invested in Blis for the first time, as has Ballpark Ventures. Meanwhile, existing investor Beringea LLP has increased its stake.

Philipp, inventor of the touch screen technology which is currently used in over 60 models of mobile phone around the world, has taken a seat on Blis’ board as part of the deal. The investee’s existing CEO, Gregor Isbister, will keep his current role.

Founded in 2004, Blis now boasts bases in London and Sydney, and provides targeted advertising solutions for the likes of Epson, Google, adidas and Unilever.

Discussing the investment, Philipp said: “The technology Blis is building is incredibly interesting. It has the potential to add a lot of value to advertisers, scale very quickly and as such can be a very disruptive force in the ecosystem.”

Gregor Isbister, CEO at Blis, commented: “Having Hal on board is an amazing asset to the team. The technology he developed has changed the face of our industry and reaches hundreds of millions of people every day – it’s mind-blowing!

“The experience Hal brings in building and expanding businesses, and the expertise in technology and IP protection, is immense.”