Satish Jayakumar and Michael Stephanblome: Adjug

Satish Jayakumar, 29 and Michael Stephanblome, 35
Company: AdJug
Web: www.adjug.com

AdJug enables advertisers to buy space directly from website owners rather than through a network, giving them an unprecedented level of control over where their messages are being displayed on the web and knowledge of their return on investment. With 650 publishers now selling inventory and 20% monthly growth in the UK, founders Jayakumar and Stephanblome are expanding overseas.

Having gained £1m funding from Benchmark Capital and MIVA president Seb Bishop, AdJug received a further £3.3m from Balderton Capital and German media company Tomorrow Focus AG. AdJug Germany has just launched, and an Indian office has opened to capitalise on the country’s talented software developers.

2013 update: The duo achieved a successful exit when Adjug was acquired by Japanese advertising giant Dentsu in 2011, in a year when the company posted impressive revenues of more than £11m.