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Candy Crush tycoon invests £2m in Shoreditch marketing intelligence firm

Shoreditch-based Adthena has announced it has received a significant seven-figure funding boost from Candy Crush entrepreneur Mel Morris.

The £2m backing from the Derby-born millionaire will support the software firm’s expansion in across the UK and further afield, including the US, Germany and France, and will build on its presence in Australia.

Founded in 2012, Adthena provides search marketing intelligence to enterprise clients across sectors, and allows them to quickly and easily monitor their rival’s search activities.

According to Tech City News, Adthena’s Chief Executive Ian O’Rourke commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Mel on board to support our international expansion. He brings a brilliant and highly successful business mind to Adthena and invaluable experience.

“Adthena’s technology platform provides search marketers with competitive market insights, enabling them to acquire more customers from the insights of their competitor’s activities.

“With this investment we will be able to take our patented ‘Whole Market View’ technology to even more brands to help ensure they are able to identify threats, spot market opportunities and boost online acquisitions.”

Morris has a history of tech ventures, having previously founded dating website uDate and he was one of the first people to invest in King, developers behind the wildly popular Candy Crush mobile game.

He is currently the largest shareholder in the firm with a stake estimated to be worth over £400m.

Commenting on today’s investment, he said: ““With search marketing spend making up on average 50% of marketing spend, there is a clear market opportunity for Adthena with their patented technology to provide marketers with a unique ‘whole market view’.

“Adthena has proven market traction in the UK and Australia, with over 120 customers, and the investment will enable them to expand into new markets and exploit the $83 bn search marketing opportunity.”

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