Vudoo raises $22 million Series B to take in-ad checkout to the US

How the product works

Vudoo was founded in 2017 by Nick Morgan and Andrew Spalding, who came up with the interactive video idea while chatting in a Singapore bar. One of its earliest checkouts ran in a 2022 Vogue Australia campaign with News Corp Australia for Moët & Chandon. Viewers watching model Victoria Lee put together a birthday celebration could buy a personalised bottle of champagne inside the video and then keep watching.

The approach gives publishers audience retention and lets advertisers track what someone bought after watching an ad. The champagne house reported that shoppers who took up the video offers spent an average of $140, compared with a typical $90 online.

Eyeing AI-led discovery

CEO Morgan sees a similar opening as people start discovering products through AI. "Commerce is moving beyond traditional storefronts, with the transaction moment shifting into the media, content and AI environments where consumers discover and engage with products," he said. "We made a deliberate decision to build Vudoo for that future."

New North American team

Vudoo has also made leadership changes to support the US push. Isabella Spragg, who recently joined as global director of ad infrastructure and partnerships after senior roles at The Trade Desk and Monks, has been promoted to chief operating officer to oversee global operations.

In New York, 20-year ad veteran Tash Henderson, formerly of News Corp Australia and iHeartMedia's Unified, takes charge of North American commercial operations as managing director. Former H&M Group and Bambuser executive Sophie Abrahamsson joins as North American head of retail, alongside Julian Colantuono as customer success director, overseeing the company's work with clients globally.