introduction
Our Story
DML started in late 2017 with a mission to support quality original journalism by providing local news publishers and non-profit journalism organizations with new, immersive content experiences, expanded distribution, and revenue opportunities.
Customers include the Local Media Foundation, McClatchy Corporation, The Denver Post, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Anchorage Daily News, Graham Media Group and many more local publishers and non-profit journalism organizations across North America.
Partnerships with leading industry associations supported by grant funding from Facebook, Google, Interledger Foundation and others help drive DML’s growth.
Now, imminent changes to Google Chrome concerning user privacy driven by global consumer sentiment and growing government regulation is forcing marketers across all industries to change the way they reach scaled and relevant audiences. The DML platform which currently serves local and non-profit news organizations is optimized by design for the emerging privacy-centric web economy. With this foundation and driven by the emerging market demand for privacy-centric audience engagement, DML is now offering the platform to serve the $80B content marketing sector.
Initial clients for DML’s branded content distribution include AARP, BioGen, Deloitte Consulting and others.
problem
There is no easy way for publishers and advertisers to share their content with large and relevant audiences across the open web.
As the dominant social platforms falter and Google proceeds toward implementing a more privacy centric web economy, we believe that traditional display advertising and social media are becoming less productive. These market trends push local news publishers and businesses as well as national brand and performance marketers to pursue consumer engagement with their own content on the open web.
Bringing that content to large audiences requires building direct partnerships with a multitude of publishers to access scaled and relevant audiences. Building those partnerships is extremely time-consuming and expensive.
solution
Distributed Media Lab aims to make it easy for everyone, from local news publishers and businesses to non-profit journalism organizations or national brand and performance marketers, to distribute their content in a way that can efficiently reach scaled and relevant audiences across the open web.
DML provides curated content collections via a simple embed code, like a YouTube embedded video, but for articles, videos and more.
When a user clicks on a collection, it opens a responsive desktop or mobile viewer. The collections can be a collection of articles, articles and a piece of sponsored or branded content or all branded content.
Local publishers, advertisers and content teams can leverage the DML Creator Hub to curate collections and create the embed code; it also provides analytics.
Publishers use the DML Marketplace to discover collections available. They can embed collections on their site, providing curated content across multiple topics or paid content from corporate and foundation sponsors.
business model
DML is a business-to-business company serving publishers and brands through multiple revenue models including subscription platform licensing, content production through DML’s Content Studio and audience extension as a service through DML’s Ad Operations unit.
market
DML provides a differentiated and compelling platform for publishers and brands engaged in digital content marketing.
success to date
- October 2017: Co-founder and CEO, David Gehring, sold his last company to Google and negotiated in the acquisition the option for launching Distributed Media Lab as an independent technology startup.
- April 2018: Launched one of the first curated content collections powered by DML’s platform on Noozhawk, an innovative local digital news media organization in Santa Barbara.
- July 2018: DML launched a series of experiments with publisher partners using the platform to drive greater engagement from social and email distribution.
- October 2018: Embedded midterm election collections on dozens of local news websites in California resulting in significant audience reach and engagement for critical content about Voting in the midterms.
- August 2020: Received a $2M grant from Interledger Foundation to build support for Web Monetization into the DML platform.
- September 2020: Acquired Wundervue LLC, bringing on a new Chief Revenue Officer and VP of Operations to build the DML local media business.
- December 2020: Launched The Branded Content Project to provide new revenue streams to local news publishers in partnership with the Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium with multi-year funding from Facebook.
- August 2021: Closed DML’s $2.45M Series Seed financing.
- July 2022: Launched the subscription platform, establishing a SaaS model for growing DML’s business.
- August 2022: Launched branded content programmatic distribution for national brand and performance marketers targeting the $80B Content Marketing Market.
team
Media + Tech is hard. Experience matters.
Use of Proceeds
If the offering's maximum amount of $690,661 is raised:
| Use | Value | % of Proceeds |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Compensation / Salaries | $616,819 | 89.3% |
| Marketing | $20,000 | 2.9% |
| Technology / Software | $20,000 | 2.9% |
| Intermediary fees | $33,842 | 4.9% |
Terms
This number includes all funds raised by the Company in this round on Netcapital. This is an offering of Common Stock, under registration exemption 4(a)(6), in Distributed Media Lab, Inc.. This offering must reach its target of at least $10,000 by its offering deadline of April 24, 2023 at 11:59pm ET. If this offering does not reach its target by the offering deadline, then your money will be refunded.
If the offering is successful at raising the maximum amount, then the company’s implied valuation after the offering (sometimes called its post-money valuation) will be:
Financials
These financial statements have been reviewed by an independent Certified Public Accountant.
SEC Filings
The Offering Statement is a formal description of the company and this transaction. It’s filed with the SEC to comply with the requirements of exemption 4(a)(6) of the Securities Act of 1933.
We’re also required to share links to each of the SEC filings related to this offering with investors.
Understand the Risks
Be sure to understand the risks of this type of investment. No regulatory body (not the SEC, not any state regulator) has passed upon the merits of or given its approval to the securities, the terms of the offering, or the accuracy or completeness of any offering materials or information posted herein. That’s typical for Regulation CF offerings like this one.
Neither Netcapital nor any of its directors, officers, employees, representatives, affiliates, or agents shall have any liability whatsoever arising from any error or incompleteness of fact or opinion in, or lack of care in the preparation or publication of, the materials and communication herein or the terms or valuation of any securities offering.
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond the company’s control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties, and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy, and liquidity. No obligation exists to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
More Info
Updates
- Jan 21, 2024We closed 2024 with a partnership with KQED in...
- Jul 12, 2023Over the last couple months, we have primarily...
- Apr 25, 2023Primary offering finalized, selling shares
- Apr 20, 2023Distributed Media Lab powering new campaign...
- Mar 18, 2023Adi Ignatius, Editor in Chief for Harvard...
- Mar 17, 2023Distributed Media Lab powers content sharing...
- Mar 17, 2023Brad Bender, formerly Google VP Product- News...
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