Specific Media, Inc.

About Us
Our Team
Press Room
Careers
Careers
  Demographic Targeting:
Our highly advanced, user-based Demographic Prediction Technology allows advertisers to target their precise demographic market and eliminate wasted impressions.
 
About Us > Press Room

Specific Media, Inc. - Press Room

Specific Media Secures $100 Million in Funding
Leading Online Advertising Network Joins Forces with Francisco Partners

IRVINE, CA -- November 1, 2007 -- Specific Media, the number three-ranked advertising network according to the September comScore rankings, today announced that it has closed a Series B financing with Francisco Partners, a leading technology-focused private equity firm with approximately $5 billion under management. Francisco Partners will fund the company with up to $100 million, with access to further resources as necessary, to support Specific Media's growth.

Specific Media has earmarked this new round of funding for acquisitions that build on the company's current platform. This commitment represents one of the 20 largest technology growth capital deals made worldwide in 2007 to date. Investment bank Piper Jaffray advised Specific Media on the transaction.

The online advertising industry has recently seen an unprecedented flurry of high-profile acquisitions that have highlighted the market's strategic value and steadily growing importance in the global advertising market. In this climate of increased activity and with the consolidation still far from finished, Specific Media aims to continue its rapid growth.

"The online advertising space continues to be one of the most attractive segments of the technology market. Specific Media's combination of experienced management, strong technology, marquis customers and broad reach makes it well positioned to continue to solidify a leadership position in the industry," said Neil Garfinkel, a co-founder of Francisco Partners, who will also join the board of directors for Specific Media.

Utilizing Specific Media's broad network and powerful targeting technologies, advertisers reach highly specific audiences such as independent and business-minded men, ages 25-54, living in large metro areas. Specific Media offers brand advertisers a complete - and accurate - targeting solution, combining demographic, behavioral, contextual, and geographic methods.

Specific Media now reaches more than 130 million unique users for a total U.S. reach of 72 percent. The company works with many Fortune 500 brands including seven of the top 10. Its growth this year has been particularly strong; since debuting in the comScore rankings in February, the Specific Media network has grown 44 percent, outpacing all of the other ad networks appearing in the top 10.

"We are pleased to have Francisco Partners join us as we embark on our next phase of growth and expansion," said Tim Vanderhook, CEO and co-founder of Specific Media. "Our growth and success to date demonstrate that our advanced targeting technologies and Premium Network fulfill a growing need for accurate targeting among advertisers and consumers alike."

About Francisco Partners

With approximately $5 billion of capital under management, Francisco Partners ("FP") is one of the world's largest technology-focused private equity funds. The firm was founded to pursue structured investments in technology companies at strategic, technological, and operational inflection points. FP pursues investment opportunities where domain knowledge, strategic insight, and long-term focus generate a differentiated view of investment value and drive superior investment returns. FP makes majority and minority investments in private companies, public companies, and divisions of public companies. The principals of Francisco Partners have a proven track record, having invested in excess of $3 billion of equity capital in over 50 technology companies. For additional information on Francisco Partners, please see: www.franciscopartners.com

About Specific Media

Specific Media, the advertising industry's fastest-growing interactive media company, enables advertisers to target consumers based on demographics, behaviors, geographic locations and/or the contextual relevance of websites visited. Specific Media works with many of the Fortune 500 brands including seven of the top 10 companies. Specific Media's network reaches more than 130 million U.S. monthly unique users. Since 1999, the company has partnered with hundreds of top quality publishers such as: ABC, CBS, FOX, Major League Baseball, Sportsline.com and VIACOM. For additional information, visit www.specificmedia.com

Contact:
Christine Schoultz
949.861.8898
cschoultz@specificmedia.com


Rose Maciejewski / Julia Zamorska
Ruder Finn West
310.882.4002 / 310.882.4007
wellsb@ruderfinn.com / zamorskaj@ruderfinn.com

©2008 Specific Media, Inc. Client Login | Privacy | Sitemap