Customer intelligence provider TransUnion purchased Signal, a US-based marketing technology developer backed by internet company Yahoo Japan, for an undisclosed amount on Monday.
Founded in 2010 as OneTag before later rebranding to BrightTag, Signal has developed a data-driven software platform that helps businesses tailor their marketing efforts and branding messages for different customer groups.
TransUnion will use Signal’s technology to ramp up its digital marketing products. It had already acquired another data-infused marketing startup, TruSignal, in May 2019, having invested in advertising technology developer Tru Optik the previous month.
Signal completed a $30m series E round in 2016 led by I2A Fund that also featured Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Baird Capital, Pritzker Group Ventures and Epic Ventures.
Yahoo Japan led the company’s $27m series C round in 2013, investing alongside Pritzker Group Venture Capital and TomorrowVentures as well as Baird Capital, Epic Ventures and I2A Fund, the latter three having joined SVB in a $15m round the year before.
Signal had raised $5m from New World Ventures, TomorrowVentures, Epic Ventures and I2A Fund in 2011, all four having backed a round the previous year sized at a minimum of $1.5m according to a regulatory filing.
Lisa Weinstein, Signal’s CEO, said: “For more than a decade, Signal has been a leading solution for real-time data collection and distribution, enabling marketers to better understand and react to their customers’ needs. The opportunity to join TransUnion and leverage our combined strengths is extremely exciting.”
