Digital storytelling platform Apester has raised $17 million in a financing round led by Blumberg Capital. The financing round includes $5 million raised last year from Mangrove Capital Partners, former AOL CMO Tal Simantov, Wix co-founder Gigi Kaplan, Silverstein Properties President Tal Kerret, and Amdocs founder Morris Kahn (Wellborn Ventures).
Founded in 2014 in Israel by CEO Moti Cohen, Apester is now headquartered in New York City but has kept its research and development center in Tel Aviv. Publishers using Apester's platform in over 40 countries include Time Inc, AOL, The Daily Telegraph, The Huffington Post, FOX, USA Today, BBC, Sky and Bild.
Cohen said, "Apester helps provide content that makes one-dimensional content into an ongoing dialogue with users. We see a more effective way of giving responses to the changes in users' needs through content that gives an experience and deepens the involvement of the audience in the content of the articles. The platform that we have developed allows content players to tell a powerful and more complete story in which the audience takes an active part and is more connected to the content and brands behind them."
The company's workforce has grown from 8 last year to 50 and will more than double over the coming year.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 19, 2016
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