TotallyAwesome, a digital advertising network for kids, raises $10m

TotallyAwesome, a Singapore-headquartered digital advertising network for kids, teens, and families, has announced raising $10 million seed funding from Partners For Growth and Yefira Group.

The funding round, which is a mix of debt and equity, will help the startup double down on expanding its proprietary data-driven managed and programmatic offerings to enable brands to engage with the under 18 segment, per the announcement.

TotallyAwesome enables a youth-safe digital ecosystem by curating the largest supply of media inventory for brands to engage with more than 500 million monthly active under 18-users across APAC, safely.

The startup is compliant with both COPPA and GDPR data privacy guidelines and regulations, with the company being a member of the kidSAFE Seal Program.

The company follows the most advanced Government regulations protecting kids’ data and privacy, with its resident practising psychologist advising on what is age-appropriate and consequently helping shape its products and develop bespoke research solutions.

This science-backed approach is combined with local language human moderators – including teenagers – to ensure brand safety and emphasise human interpretation over AI-based solutions.

Having quadrupled its revenue and increased its headcount by 200% over the last three financial years, TotallyAwesome will use the funding to solidify its position in a space where it has first-mover advantage, while expanding its footprint across key strategic markets such as Indonesia, Philippines, Japan and Australia.

“It gives me great confidence that “Venture Capital for good” is gaining greater traction in our world at large and TotallyAwesome met that brief for both institutions. Additionally, the importance of cultural fit was at the top of my list when looking for both equity and debt partners. To this end, both PFG and the Yefira Group are a perfect match. Exciting times ahead,” said Will Anstee, CEO of TotallyAwesome.

The investment marks the company’s second major announcement in recent weeks, having previously unveiled TotallyPlay, the industry’s largest brand safe gaming platform for brands to engage with Asia-Pacific’s 450mn+ under-18 gamers.