Mercia backs UK adtech startup PubGuard

UK-based advertising tech startup PubGuard has secured an undisclosed amount of funding from Henley-in-Arden headquartered Mercia Fund Management.

PubGuard, a mobile-first digital ad verification and malware detection tool for publishers, was founded in 2015, and has quickly established itself as a solution for the largest global digital publishers, helping them to improve ad quality and user experience.

With Mercia’s investment, PubGuard aims to continue growing its client base while expanding into the US to provide greater support for its clients across the Atlantic.

The company was founded by a team of digital advertising experts with decades of experience across all aspects of the digital media industry. PubGuard are committed to expanding their team with the brightest and best talent in the mobile and desktop ad-tech industry.

CEO and founder of PubGuard Justin Wenczka said: “We founded PubGuard after seeing an opportunity to make ads better for users and publishers. In response, we built an integration free solution to identify offensive content and ineffective ads so in-app and desktop publishers can easily maintain their ad standards.

“The rise of adblocking is a sign of a disconnect between user expectations and the reality of advertising today. We have seen that improving ad quality increases user engagement.”

Chris Kilroy, Investment Associate at Mercia Fund Management, said: “PubGuard has developed a highly effective and unique product that helps solve one of the advertising industry’s biggest problems. The founders have strong domain expertise combined with a deep understanding of the industry and we are incredibly confident in their ability to build a highly valuable company over the years to come.”

Mercia Fund Management provides tax-efficient SEIS & EIS capital to early stage businesses, particularly those residing in the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland.