Update: The event was initially slated for Tuesday, and has been changed to Wednesday.
On Monday, General Catalyst’s Executive in Residence and serial entrepreneur Simeon Simeonov announced on his blog that he has been hard at work launching a new mobile startup here in the Hub (soon to close a Series A round of investment). While the company is still in stealth mode, Sim shared more new details about his startup with BostInno today:
First, the name of the company: Shopximity (shopping + proximity).
Second, the other two co-founders: Ron Elwell (CEO) and John Hadl (Executive Chairman). Elwell is a former partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, most recently known for helping build Goal.com into the 10th largest sports site in the world (the company was sold just last month). He was also an initial investor in Millenial Media. Hadl is generally known as one of the best guys in mobile advertising, currently venture partner at US Venture Partners and CEO Brand in Hand, a full-service, end-to-end mobile media and marketing company.
Third, (well, it’s pretty apparent from the above and his blog post) the startup is at the intersection of mobile, retail, local and advertising. It is NOT, however, an ad network, nor an app. And while it is, quote, “providing value” to consumers, he couldn’t confirm or deny whether or not it is a direct to consumer play.
Fourth, Sim made mention of a past startup he co-founded, a real-time assurance platform for online ad impressions (Evidon, formerly known as Better Advertising). Might Shopximity be doing the same for retailers and advertisers in the mobile space? Sim says no, so we can’t help but wonder if what he’s learned from working at the intersection of privacy and targeting applies to Shopximity.
Fifth, following up on #4, Shopximity is hosting an exclusive lunch event this coming Wednesday on a topic core to the opportunity the startup is cornering in the mobile space. The guest of honor: Lydia Parnes, the former Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to Sim she is “the best educated person at the intersection of ad tech, regulation, and privacy.” Having been at the BCP for quite some time and having hired many of its current regulators, she obviously has some very unique insights into what’s going to happen on the consumer protection front when it comes to online and mobile advertising.
Are you an ad tech company? Mobile or location-based company? Consumer data enabler, aggregator or privacy advocate? Agency representing brands looking to reach consumers over mobile? Entrepreneur cornering any or all of the above spaces? Or more generally, are potential regulations of mobile consumer privacy core to your business? This event is for you, and not to be missed.
Spaces are limited, so please add your name to the form here for access and follow up information. The location for the lunch is TBD, but will obviously be local in the Boston/Cambridge area.
