Martech news roundup: Facebook integrations, Kustomer funding, Adobe & Microsoft acquisitions
We review the top news in martech from the week of January 21–28, 2019.
We review the top news in martech from the week of January 21–28, 2019.
In our roundup of last week’s martech news, we highlight:
What it is
On January 25, the NY Times released an interesting piece on how Zuckerberg might integrate Facebook’s three applications: WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. This would take place near the end of 2019 or early 2020.
Why it matters
This comes with several interesting implications / analyses:
What it is
On January 24, Kustomer announced $35 million Series C funding.
A New York-based customer support platform, Kustomer distinguishes itself with a “Slack-like approach” to CRM.
Originally, the company sought to create a CRM system so user-friendly that anyone in an organization could use it. This fits with their target audience of smaller companies that may not have dedicated customer teams.
Why it matters
With this latest round of funding, the company plans to expand beyond SMBs. They ultimately aim to take on Oracle and Salesforce conversions.
What it is
LinkedIn has launched Interest Targeting, which allows marketers to target ads to people who engage with certain “interests.”
Why it matters
For advertisers using Campaign Manager, you’ll have about 200 targeted interests, from which you can create ad campaigns.
These interests include categories such as artificial intelligence, global economy, and customer service.
The interests are based on information collected “based on the content users share and engaged with.”
What it is
Allegorithmic’s Substance texture tools are widely used by AAA game creators, and also by visual effects artists, animators, and designers.
The acquisition was announced on January 23, for an undisclosed amount.
Why it matters
For Adobe, this acquisition will allow them to integrate Allegorithmic’s technologies as part of its Creative Cloud tools.
The company has started to focus on 3D (Adobe Dimension, Project Aero), as more and more creatives are prioritizing 3D content.
What it is
Citus Data’s open-source PostgreSQL extension aims to make PostgreSQL databases faster and more scalable.
Citus Data was founded in 2010, and had previously raised more than $13 million in funding.
The acquisition was announced on January 24, for an undisclosed amount.
Why it matters
For Microsoft, this acquisition will enable them to improve the performance and scale of Azure PostgreSQL.
It will also support the company’s commitment to open source. They’ve emphasized that they’ll continue to work with the Citus community.
See something we missed? Leave us a comment below!