ada (analytics. data. advertising), the digital advertising business of Axiata Digital Sdn. Bhd., announces USD20 million investment from Sumitomo Corporation, a leading Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company headquartered in Japan.
ada “unlocks the full potential in digital by combining data science, creative and technology, for brands and businesses” across Asia with presence in 8 countries with over 200 digital advertising specialists. ada’s key clients in the region include brands such as CIMB, LINE MAN, Sushi King, TGV and Timberland and others.
Axiata Digital said this funding round solidifies ada’s trajectory to become the leading integrated digital advertising firm leveraging Telco core and digital and analytics capabilities in Southeast Asia by 2021. ada breaks the silos between media and creative with all marketing decisions driven by data. Hence, ada said it has built out first in the region Telco-powered proprietary data management platform (DMP), Xact. In the next 3-5 years, it is expecting that 90% of all marketing decisions to be data-driven.
Axiata Digital said that Sumitomo Corporation as ada’s “strategic partner” will accelerate growth through:
- Leveraging cutting edge technology to enhance ada’s Xact platform and drive product innovation
- Expanding ada’s business by its knowledge/ experience in affiliate marketing and digital advertising as well as by developing go-to-market collaborations to serve Japanese advertisers or partner with Japanese agencies
“It’s a great pleasure to partner with ada for creating new value through data driven analytics and leading digital transformation. We will also seek opportunities for further collaboration in the areas such as FinTech and IoT with Axiata Digital Services as a strategic partner” said Masahiro Miyashita, Corporate Officer, Sumitomo Corporation.
Sumitomo Corporation (SC) is a leading Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company with 108 locations in 65 countries and 22 locations in Japan. The entire SC Group consists of more than 900 companies. SC conducts commodity transactions in all industries utilizing worldwide networks, provides related customers with various financing, serves as an organizer and a coordinator for various projects, and invests in companies to promote greater growth potential. SC’s core business areas include Metal Products, Transportation and Construction Systems, Infrastructure, Media and ICT, Living Related and Real Estate, Mineral Resources, Energy, and Chemical and Electronics.
“We are excited to partner with a valued partner like Sumitomo to create long-term value by leveraging our joint capabilities. Together through data driven marketing, we look forward to expanding regionally with advertisers and agencies alike.” said Srinivas Gattamneni, CEO, ada.
“ada has been built around the future of advertising through integrating analytics into media and creatives. We are extremely pleased to have Sumitomo as a partner for this future as it further strengthens our focus on digital advertising.” said Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO, Axiata Digital Services.
Axiata Digital Services (AD), the digital services arm of Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata), was established to support the increasingly digital lifestyle of Axiata consumers. In four years, this portfolio now consists of 18 digital brands focused on digital financial services (e-wallets, remittance, micro-insurance and micro-lending), digital advertising and platform services focused on API’s (Application Programming Interface) among which are Apigate, Boost, ada, BIMA, 11Street and StoreKing.
