Unlockd

Unlockd operated as a mobile advertising technology firm, founded in 2014 by Matt Berriman, Christopher Kerrisk, and Craig Watt in Melbourne, Australia, with subsequent offices in New York and London. The company developed a platform centered on a value exchange model, offering Android smartphone users benefits such as discounts on their mobile phone bills, additional mobile data, or premium content. In return, users consented to view full-screen, targeted advertisements and offers each time they unlocked their device.

The business model was predicated on creating a new revenue stream for telecommunication partners while providing a tangible reward for consumers. Unlockd established partnerships with telecom carriers, including Boost Mobile (a Sprint brand) in the U.S. and the Axiata Group in Asia, to deploy its white-labeled application to their customer bases. Revenue was generated from advertisers and media companies, such as Twitter, Starbucks, and Lyft, who paid to access this targeted lock-screen inventory. A significant portion of this revenue, reportedly around 70 percent, was passed back to the end-users in the form of rewards.

The platform's technology aimed to deliver geo-targeted ads based on user interests, location, and the time of day, capturing user attention at a moment of high engagement. Over its operational period, Unlockd successfully raised over $50 million in venture capital through several funding rounds, including a notable $23 million Series B in 2017 led by Axiata Digital. Despite its initial growth and expansion into multiple international markets, the company ceased operations and entered administration in mid-2018.

Keywords: mobile advertising, adtech, lock-screen advertising, customer rewards platform, value exchange model, telecom advertising, mobile marketing, Android applications, user engagement, customer retention, ad-funded model, digital advertising, Matt Berriman, Axiata, Boost Mobile, mobile platform, startup, out of business, media technology