Tech bites: Week of October 7, 2019

Programmatic platform Kubient is launching what it claims is the industry's first real-time bidding digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising solution. The patent-pending open RTB solution will allow for the real-time trading of DOOH inventory. Kubient currently offers inventory from NRS and ReachTV, and will be onboarding additional inventory partners across the US and Canada during Q4.

In other out-of-home news, Lantern Media has signed an agreement with American multinational energy corporation Chevron to extend its network of AI-powered DOOH screens to selected Caltex petrol stations across the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur. The screens, which will be placed outside the station convenience stores (see below), have top-mounted cameras that are able to identify the type, make, and model of visiting vehicles, providing new targeting metrics for advertisers. Lantern Media claims this will be the first application of this technology in Malaysia.

Amazon has built out its ecommerce offering in Singapore with a new website, Amazon.sg, that will offer greater accessibility and products as it looks to take on local rivals such as Alibaba's Lazada and Sea Group's Shopee. The US retailer has offered a mobile shopping app in Singapore for more than two years, but its product offering has been limited to groceries and household essentials. The new offering will include a desktop and mobile website and a greater local and international product catalogue, along with its signature books depository and Prime two-hour delivery.

Nikkei, the owner of the Financial Times and publisher of Nikkei Asian Review, has invested US$5 million in Singaporean fintech startup Handshakes, an associate company of Singapore Press Holdings which specialises in corporate monitoring and research. As part of the deal, Handshakes will work with Nikkei and the FT to support the product development of their data and news service ScoutAsia, launched earlier this year. The media organisation will tap into Handshakes’ artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in a bid to enhance accuracy and efficiency of ScoutAsia’s news monitoring and corporate information search functions.

Elsewhere in media, Thomson Reuters has acquired B2B events company FC Business Intelligence (FCBI). FCBI delivers high-end conferences and exhibitions to diverse sectors including energy, insurance, pharmaceuticals, transportation, travel, strategy and technology. The business will be rebranded Reuters Events and will be operated as part of the Reuters News division of the media conglomerate.