Press & Media

Octopus Appoints Media Industry Veteran Bennett Fogel as Chief Commercial Officer

July 29, 2020 — Octopus Interactive, the leading rideshare advertising platform, has appointed Bennett Fogel as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer.  Bennett joins Octopus from Aura Financial, a fintech small dollar lending platform where he was Chief Revenue Officer. Prior to Aura, Bennett was the Chief Revenue Officer of NCM, the nation’s leading Cinema Network. While at NCM, […]

NOVUS Canada Launches Brand Extension – NOVUS EXTRA – with Premium Rideshare Entertainment Platform Octopus Interactive as First Partner

TORONTO, July 15, 2020 –NOVUS Canada announced today that it has launched a brand extension, NOVUS EXTRA, and that the initiative’s first partnership is with Octopus Interactive, the largest network of rideshare entertainment screens in the United States. The announcement was made today at DPAA’s annual Video Everywhere Canada Summit.  NOVUS EXTRA will operate as a division of NOVUS Canada, offering […]

Octopus Interactive presents innovative new “rideshare” marketing platform at IAB NewFronts 2020

Octopus Interactive, the largest network of interactive screens inside Uber and Lyft vehicles was a first-time presenter at the Interactive Advertising Bureau NewFronts 2020, the leading digital advertising gathering. Octopus presented The Daily Ride to provide insights around the growing trend of rideshare marketing. Topics included the total addressable market, rideshare passenger demographics, current market opportunities, the future of […]

VentureBeat – How the ride-hailing industry is fueling a new breed of startup

Amid concerns about low wages in the ride-hailing industry, a number of venture capital (VC)-backed startups have emerged to help drivers boost their earnings…

Adweek – Startup Octopus Raises $10 Million to Bring Backseat Games to Ride-Sharing Services

A startup that adds a dose of Cash Cab to Uber and Lyft is getting a money pot of its own.

TechCrunch – Sinclair leads $10.3M investment in rideshare advertising startup Octopus

Octopus Interactive, a startup bringing an interactive TV and ad experience into Uber and Lyft rides, has raised a $10.3 million funding round led by Sinclair Digital Group.

Cheddar Inc. – This Startup Puts Games and Ads in the Back of Ubers

One startup is sending tablets to Uber and Lyft drivers that display advertisements to their riders. Cherian Thomas, Co-founder and CEO of Octopus explained to Cheddar how this is opening up another stream of revenue for drivers.

DIGIDAY – A startup is putting ads inside Ubers and Lyfts

A Washington, D.C.,-based startup is selling ad inventory inside ride-share cars.

Octopus places screens inside vehicles for Uber and Lyft to let riders decide if they want to play a game to win cash, which also means watching a 15- or 30-second ad. The startup, which launched in 2018, isn’t the first of its kind, but it’s been able to impress some brands like Red Bull and agencies like Omnicom.

Marketing Land – Digital out-of-home advertising is fracturing into many channels

Another variation of this trend to see cars as moving inventory are the screens showing ads as well as content in the back of cabs or, as Washington D.C.-based Octopus does, in the back of Uber and Lyft rides.