Monday, October 13, 2008

Eyealike Extends Into Video Ads

Seattle-based Eyealike, which develops visual search software, said today that it has launched a new product which applies its visual recognition software to video advertising. According to Eyealike, its new product, VisualAd, uses facial features, skin color, hair, gender, age, and recognition of logos and product images in videos to target ads. The firm said its VisualAd product is similar to Google's AdWords, and automatically index, filters, and classifies images and video to target ads placed alongside rich media. The firm gave the example of identifying an infant's face in a user profile image or photo gallery on a social networking website to target an ad from Pampers or Gerber or targeting a BMW ad for a James Bond film as possible applications for its technology. Eyealike is angel backed. The firm told Northwest Innovation in September that it recently raised a pre-Series A round worth $500K, and is in the midst of a Series A fundraise.