Former Amazon leader Jeff Wilke is among the investors in a new digital advertising company operating as a subsidiary of CivicScience, a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based consumer intelligence startup. The new company, which is currently unnamed, will use the first-party data collected by CivicScience to help marketers with ad targeting that doesn’t use third-party cookies.
The company hopes to ride tailwinds from growing regulation around personal data control and blocking of third-party cookies. It will be led by media vet Doug Lauretano, who was previously with Media.net.
The company raised $15 million from Wilke, the former Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO and Pittsburgh native, along with Legendary Entertainment founder Thomas Tull and The NPD Group. Wilke has made several angel investments since departing Amazon and helped start a manufacturing company called Re:Build Manufacturing.
CivicScience has two Seattle-based employees, including former Cheezburger exec Cyrus Krohn.