Demdex raises $6M to build publishers’ audience data

Demdex, a company that compiles a “behavioral bank” of audience data for publishers and advertisers, has raised $6 million in a first round of institutional funding. The funding was led by new investor Shasta Ventures, with participation from previous backers First Round Capital and Genacast Ventures.

New York-based Demdex says it pulls audience data from sources including a company’s website, data sellers, and advertising campaigns. That means advertising can be better targeted at specific groups of users. It also means companies aren’t reliant on a specific technology or data source — if a publisher decides to switch ad services, it take its audience data along to the new service, rather than starting from scratch.

Demdex’s services are used by brands in automotive, travel, media and entertainment, and e-commerce, the company says.