Germany-based television-focused marketing app developer TVSmiles has raised a €5m ($5.6m) series B round that featured SevenOne Media, a marketing subsidiary of broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1, Gründerszene reported on Monday.
Private equity firm Omnes Capital led the round, which also included E.Ventures, a venture capital firm backed by retailer Otto Group, VC firms German Startups Group and Ventech, and several unnamed angel investors.
Founded in 2013, TVSmiles operates a smartphone app that consumers use to answer questions about adverts being shown on their TV set. In return, users collect ‘smiles’, which can then be exchanged for rewards.
TVSmiles will use the funding to accelerate an expansion in the UK which began in August this year. It also plans to enter the US and other international markets once it has completed its rollout across the UK.
The company, which claims to have 650,000 active monthly users, previously raised $5.6m in March 2014 in a series A round led by Ventech.
The series A round also featured holding company Magix, E.Ventures, German Startups Group and Brandenburg Ventures, a VC firm founded by the inventor of the MP3 audio format, Karlheinz Brandenburg, as well as assorted angel investors.
German Startups Group, Brandenburg Ventures, Magix and private investors also participated in TVSmiles’ seed round, though the company has not disclosed further details.