The Next Big Thing has been devised to connect fledgling but innovative start-ups with advertisers. The companies have proposed ideas based on subjects including AI, programmatic platforms and video tech, and will present their ideas for the chance to win a $50,000 Unilever pilot on 13-14 October.
The finalists are Relative Insight, Adimo, Adverdose, Cablato, EyeSee, Pixoneye, Reacful, Smartzer, Verticly, Watch My Competitor, Buzzoole, Kochava, Phrasee, Real Life Analytics and SoPost.
The shortlist was whittled down from an original 120 start-ups, each of which answered Unilever chief marketing officer Keith Weed’s brief to put forward “truly disruptive ideas” that can help Unilever “deliver the right tech, to the right brands, right now”.