deal united completes funding round and driving internationalisation forward

deal united completed its most recent funding round with extraordinary success. Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments and Venture Incubator are investing a mid-seven digit amount in the Munich-based e-commerce platform. deal united supports providers of software, online games and social networks as well as shop operators in optimising their monetisation. deal united is already Europe’s leading online marketing platform for monetising digital and virtual goods and is represented in numerous European countries.

deal united’s concept is aimed at raising the revenues and conversion rates of online providers.  In the case of software producers, only about one percent of test users actually buy the full version of the software offered – most opt for the free-of-charge version. The monetisation rates are similarly low in the cases of premium features or virtual currency of online games or social networks. By incorporating deal united solutions, online providers can address internet users directly with bonuses such as vouchers or free-of-charge products (e.g. software or virtual currency) and convert them into paying customers. A joint venture with prime advertisers makes these bonuses possible.

“The deal united concept already has significant success to show for and is being used by well-known partners,” says Jan Borgstädt, Principal at Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments. “The method has proven itself in the areas of software, gaming, social networks and retailing. Particularly in these future markets, where monetisation concepts are in big demand, deal united provides solutions.”

Daniel Gutenberg, General Partner at Venture Incubator, also sees a great future for deal united: “With innovative marketing solutions deal united creates a cross-selling constellation from which all involved – also the ultimate customer – benefit. From our perspective this is one of the tremendous strengths of the deal united solution.”

Extending leadership of the European market further
Dr Jarg Temme, deal united’s managing director, is pleased after the completed round of fund raising to be able with the new investors to further expand operations especially on the international market: “With Venture Incubator we have gained a partner with particularly strong experience in the e-commerce sector, and from whose expertise we shall in the future be able to benefit substantially. We are pleased, furthermore, to have convinced Europe’s leading media and services group, namely Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, of our company’s potential. Our focus will now be directed fully at internationalising our business and extending our position as a leading European provider of advertising-funded monetisation solutions for digital goods.”

Concept convinces well-known online providers and advertisers
deal united currently offers two successful marketing solutions for online providers: Pay4You and Incentive Deal.

Under the Pay4You model, the customer receives a product such as a piece of software, virtual currency or membership in a social network free of charge if he or she in return places an order with a deal united advertiser.  The Incentive Deal gives undecided buyers an attractive voucher for a purchase from a deal united advertiser if they have made a purchase in the online provider’s shop. This serves as an additional incentive to buy a product previously considered and also to increase the purchase basket’s value.

More than 500 online providers, among them Avira, Deutsche Telekom AG (Softwareload), DivX, GData, libri.de, Owlient, Red Moon and Upjers, are already making successful use of these free-of-charge solutions to increase conversion rates.  Moreover, this collaboration is focused not only on Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also on other countries including the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy. On the advertiser side, deal united is collaborating with well known companies such as buecher.de, myToys, Neckermann, OTTO and Tchibo, obtaining new customers for them on the basis of a cost-per-order model.

About deal united
The Munich-based deal united company has successfully been raising the conversion rates of online shops with innovative marketing models since 2008. This is achieved by addressing interested but undecided users directly. In collaboration with partners such as OTTO, BASE, bonprix and myToys, deal united offers this user group special purchase incentives like free-of-charge products, software or vouchers. www.dealunited.com

Contact:
deal united
Daniela Reichert
daniela.reichert@dealunited.com
Phone: +49 89 381 535 868

About Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI)
Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments is a venture capital fund, based in Luxembourg, set up by the multinational Bertelsmann AG media group. BDMI targets its investment at new trends and business models in the digital media sector. BDMI aims to improve its portfolio companies’ chances of success by means of close cooperation with the Bertelsmann divisions (RTL Group, Random House, Gruner + Jahr, BMG, Arvato and Direct Group), in order thereby to take their innovative and leading positions in the media sector further forward. BDMI is managed by an international executive team from the United States and Germany. For further information go to: www.bdmifund.com

About Venture Incubator
Venture Incubator is a Swiss venture capital company that supports spin-offs from universities and other promising start-ups with capital, coaching, consulting and networks. VI invests “smart money” in promising, technology-based ideas for products and services with the aim of developing these into profitable businesses. For further information go to: www.ventureincubator.ch”

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
The High-Tech Grunderfonds invests risk capital in young, high-potential technology companies that convert promising research results in business success. By means of the seed financing the start-ups shall carry on with the R & D project until the provision of a prototype or a “proof of concept” or until the lancing on the market. The High-Tech Gründerfonds has a funds volume of about 272 million EUR. Investors of the Public Private Partnership are the German Federal Ministry for Economy and Technology, the KfW Banking Group and the six industrial company groups BASF, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch, Daimler, and Carl Zeiss.

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Romy Schnelle
Investmentmanager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 96568500
Fax: +49 228 96568550
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de