PowerLinks raises $2.75m

Advertising technology start-up PowerLinks today announced a $2.75m “super seed” round of investment, set to back further US expansion for the company.

Founded in September 2011 by Kevin Flood and Mike Harty, three-time Startups 100-listed PowerLinks converts key words within a site’s editorial copy into text links, displaying relevant advertisements when a user hovers over them with their mouse.

Charging on a pay-as-you-click or per-1000 ad impressions basis, the service claims to give its clients the control of an ad server alongside the targeted nature of in-content advertising.

Since launch the company – nominated for this year’s People’s Champion award – has seen strong growth, with more than 800 websites signed up and revenues of £850,000 in 2013.

The funding, which came from private investors in the US and Europe, will be used to fund PowerLinks’ burgeoning US expansion. It currently claims to serve around two billion ad impressions per month worldwide.

It follows an initial seed round in 2012 in which PowerLinks raised $1.25m.

Kevin Flood, founder and CEO of PowerLinks, said in a statement: “Given the growing success of Native Advertising, we are very excited to be the company that will consolidate and streamline the marketplace to make trading more lucrative for every stakeholder. Our unique platform enables every buyer and seller in the native space to connect and achieve scale.

“This recent investment round will allow us to continue to innovate and contribute to the bright future of the native ad market.”