Ooyala, a company I hailed at launch as the next generation of video monetization, has just raised another $8.5 million in second-round financing. The round was led by Sierra Ventures, as was announced on their blog this week, and brings the total amount of funding to $10 million. As a bonus gift with the funding, they also received Mark Fernandes from Sierra on their board.
In case this particular venture has escaped your memory, Ooyala is the video ad monetization platform that takes concepts, objects, and settings from your viewing experience, and matching them up with advertisers:
If, for instance, you're watching an episode of CSI, and you notice that really slick dual monitor setup with the ultra-sharp display, and you decide you'd like to play Halo 3 on that, you can simply grab that item and initiate a purchase from the sponsor. The possibilities are endless, and the matching of potential sponsors to most story-driven shows is the best targeting one could hope for.