Let’s face it, the world probably doesn’t need another tech company promising to “revolutionise” something. But here we are, and this time, it’s Ad Signal, a York-based software firm that’s just pocketed a tidy £3 million to help media companies clean up their digital mess.
Founded in 2018, Ad Signal has made a name for itself quietly behind the scenes, building software that helps broadcasters, advertisers, and post-production folks do very glamorous things like delete duplicate files and figure out where their ads are airing.
If that sounds like a digital Marie Kondo for media libraries, you’re not far off. The company claims its platform helps users organise vast amounts of video content, identify redundancies, and here’s the buzzword, streamline everything.
Because what better way to win hearts than by making sure three versions of the same toothpaste ad don’t clog up the servers?
Apparently, it’s working. Ad Signal’s client list includes industry heavyweights like Sky, Clearcast, and the Broadcasters Audience Research Board. Not bad for a company whose main gig is making sure your ad doesn’t run on the wrong channel, or twice in a row.
The £3 million investment came from Foresight Group, a fund known for backing companies that are either very clever, very green, or ideally, both. And Ad Signal seems to be nudging toward both sides of that Venn diagram.
Tom Dunning, Ad Signal’s founder and CEO, called the investment a “major milestone” and hinted at big things to come. “Watch this space,” he teased. “We are about to set a new standard for how content could be understood with a sustainability-focused approach.”
A noble goal. Though exactly how organising media files fights climate change is a bit fuzzy. Perhaps fewer duplicates mean less data storage, which means less energy use, which means fewer polar bears crying? Maybe.
Samir Rea, the investment manager at Foresight, is optimistic. “The combination of a compelling commercial opportunity, whilst also lowering customers’ carbon requirements, hopefully makes this a promising investment,” he said. “Hopefully” being the operative word.
So what’s next for Ad Signal? World domination, presumably, but one video archive at a time. With fresh funding in the bank and a promise to tidy up the media landscape, this Yorkshire startup might just be on to something.
Or at the very least, someone out there will finally be able to find the right version of that shampoo commercial without calling IT. Progress.
