Bryan Wiener, a veteran entrepreneur and tech executive who led digital ad agency 360i, is joining Raleigh-based Expion as the company’s chairman. And the hiring sign is going up at its headquarters.
Wiener also is the lead investor in a new round of capital for the firm, which claims IBM, Mattel, Coca-Cola and Clear Channel as partners. Expion delivers social media and analytics solutions.
As a result of the new cash, Expion will be hiring.
“Expion expects a growth of over 50 percent in the next year in Raleigh,” a spokesperson for Expion told WRALTechWire. The company currently employs 70 people.
“Bryan will lead the development of Expion’s sales and marketing team, cultivate strategic partnerships and drive global expansion,” she added when asked about the type of jobs the company will be adding.
The amount of the funding was not disclosed.
However, the spokesperson said that the investment is for “seven figures.” ”We’re not disclosing any additional details at this time,” the spokesperson said.
Wiener and several other individuals participated in the funding.
Expion is privately held.
Wiener will remain chairman of 360i but is stepping away from the CEO role as part of becoming Expion’s chair, the spokesperson explained.
Dentsu, the parent of 360i, took a minority stake in Expion in 2012, AdAge reported. Wiener also became a member of the board.
The two companies have worked together since 2011.
“Bryan is an invaluable addition to Expion, bringing deep sales and marketing experience as well as extensive knowledge of what it takes for a global brand to be successful in today’s digital marketing landscape,” said Peter Heffring, the CEO and co-founder of Expion, in a statement early Wednesday. “Bringing in Bryan to accelerate our go-to-market strategy is a great complement to our executive team of seasoned engineers and technologists.”
The capital will be used for the additions to the company’s work force and for global expansion, Expion said. Some 70 people work at the company, AdAge noted.
“As the social platform of choice for global brands such as Coca-Cola, Mondelez International, Hilton Worldwide and IBM, Expion is the best-kept secret in the industry and well-positioned to shake things up,” Wiener said in the announcement.
“Innovation by some of the first-generation social content management players was stunted by early acquisitions, making Expion uniquely positioned to solve today’s complex enterprise and global marketing challenges. Peter is a successful entrepreneur that has built an incredible foundation for the company and I’m looking forward to working closely with him and the team to accelerate Expion’s growth in this rapidly evolving industry.”
Expion launched in 2010.
In the past year, the company said it had doubled revenues and added IBM as well as Heineken as clients.
