Fiksu raises $10m from Qualcomm, Charles River Ventures

Boston-based Fiksu announced this morning that it raised $10 million for its mobile app marketing platform, which aims to pair big brands -- Hearst, Groupon, Barnes & Noble -- with the mobile users they covet.

The Series B financing round was led by new investor Qualcomm and included existing investor Charles River Ventures. Fisku has raised $17.8 million to date.

The funds will be used to expand into the European and Asia-Pacific markets, as well as platform development and partnerships. It recently doubled its office space in its home city and counts more than 100 people on the payroll.

The startup says it recently saw a surge in global customer demand for its product, which promises better return on investment by targeting loyal Apple iOS and Google Android users who are more likely to be monetized. The platform includes the usual advertising bells and whistles, including algorithm-powered real-time bidding exchanges and ad networks.

Qualcomm's investment makes sense -- in terms of interest, the telecom giant certainly aligns with mobile advertising -- but the reason is less clear. Perhaps it's data: Fisku already records more than a billion app events each day, which undoubtedly holds insights into user behavior.