MBlox raises $43.5 million for app-to-person messaging

MBlox, a global provider of application-to-person messaging, just completed a capital-raising round of $43.5 million.
Investors included Comerica and Horizon Technology Finance Corp., as well as some of MBlox’s existing investors such as Norwest Venture Partners, Scale Ventures, Avanti, Trident, Saints Capital and Stratem. The funds will be used for the growth of MBlox’s global business, the company said.
The company says it connected 5.8 billion devices around the world with mobile marketing engagement, typically push offers, reminders and notifications as well as accompanying analytics to assess the effectiveness of messaging initiatives. Its offerings include an event analytics manager that works in near-real-time, and includes data that can be transferred to other systems to be combined with other customer information for more in-depth analytics.
According to a mobile engagement survey of about 1,500 global mobile users earlier this year, 73% had received a push/text message and most found them valuable, including 13% who said such a message led to a purchase. MBlox sponsored the survey across eight countries, which was conducted by Millward Brown Digital.
“We see opportunity in the market, and will be aggressive in making strategic investments that will reaffirm our leadership position and drive the industry forward,” said Tom Cotney, CEO of MBlox. “We will continue to provide our customers with the best global messaging services that enable them to reach their target audiences. Our partners have provided the necessary funding that allows us to continue investing in scalability and innovation.”
The funding round is the latest in some recent expansions by MBlox. The company announced late last year that it was expanding its executive team and also would open a new office near Atlanta for its network operations, support and finance departments that would create 75 to 100 new jobs. It has offices in Paris, London, Singapore, Tokyo and Prague as well as its corporate headquarters in Silicon Valley.