VigLink helps monetize ad links, raises $18M more

Three years after its first round of funding, automated affiliate linking company VigLink has scored $18 million in series C funding.

The company automates the affiliate linking process, making it easier for publishers to get paid when native links drive sales. In addition to monetizing links, the company offers an exchange where merchants can compete for prized publisher links — a great way for publishers to capitalize on sites with heavy traffic. At the moment, the exchange is a small portion of the company’s profit.

VigLink says it works with over 35,000 advertisers, including eBay, Amazon, Nike, Nordstrom, Hilton, and Best Buy. The company says it processes 500 million clicks a month with links featured on a range of outlets from independent bloggers and mobile apps to major publishers like CBS, Elle, and CNET.

This round of funding is supposed to help the San Francisco based company expand internationally and generally help to serve advertisers better. For example, VigLink wants to incorporate targeting criteria like location, demographic, device, interest, and behavior into native ads, a VigLink spokesperson told VentureBeat.

RRE Ventures led the round, with participation from existing investors Google Ventures, Emergence Capital, and First Round Capital and additional investment from Correlation Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank.