By Abigail Bassett, Sunstone Staff Writer
Vadi Efe, founder and CEO of Businesswise, says he has always been an ardent consumer of online media, particularly podcasts. His interests span diverse topics, from entertainment and music to science, technology, and history.
“As an entrepreneur, I’ve been educating myself for many years with a lot of video content and podcast content in several languages,” Efe says. “Listening to people’s experiences and stories is very inspiring.”
Businesswise, an audio and video advertising marketplace for B2B marketing, was born out of Efe’s passion for podcasts and his entrepreneurial spirit. Efe says that the company’s mission is to fuel the growth of tech companies by connecting them with the right creators.
“We currently have over 1,800 shows in our database, spanning 72 topics,” Efe says.
Businesswise facilitates partnerships between podcasters and brands for various marketing needs, including contextual marketing, sponsorship, and ad placement.
A report in podnews.net says the podcasting industry is thriving, becoming more mainstream and diverse. It’s leaving its mark on various sectors, including advertising, journalism, and music. The advent of smart speakers and voice-activated devices is further propelling this trend.
Efe says he sees an untapped potential in audio advertising, which was the driving force behind his creation of Businesswise.
“It’s still not interactive,” Efe says about the state of podcast advertising. “I see tremendous growth in the future. Business-related content has tremendous potential if you ask me, and that’s why I’m focusing on this business right now. There is a lot of demand for listeners and audiences, but companies are not taking advantage of this.”
Efe’s is no stranger to the media business. With a background in digital media and advertising, he has worked in enterprise media platforms and led a digital marketing and analytics company specializing in video. He founded a media company in Turkey and worked in advertising and marketing for media companies in Germany, France, and the U.S. In 2017, Efe was recognized in Turkey’s Fortune 40-under-40 list.
Businesswise, which Efe launched in late 2021, still is in its early stages, but he says Businesswise currently has four paying customers, and many more in the pipeline.
Businesswise is part of the sixth Long Beach Accelerator cohort. The accelerator provides a four-month training course, mentorship and access to business-related resources. Sunstone Management is the fiscal partner of LBA, giving startup founders access to sources of capital and resources at California State University, Long Beach.
“We believe that being part of the Southern California entrepreneurial scene is of tremendous value,” Efe says. “The accelerator believes in and supports diversity and intrapreneurship in the region, and there’s a good story and ecosystem being built.” He also said that Sunstone’s partnership will help his company grow.
With a positive outlook for the podcasting industry and support from LBA and Sunstone, Efe is optimistic about Businesswise’s future.
“We have a mission to help creators monetize,” he says. “It’s a lot of work to create good content and share their expertise, but 85% of the creators right now cannot monetize their content. So I believe if we become successful, we will also create a lot more supply. So right now, we are focusing on finding more brands who want to invest in this field, and we also create a bridge for creators to monetize.”
For more about Businesswise, go to businesswise.tech.
© Sunstone Management Inc.
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About Long Beach Accelerator
The Long Beach Accelerator provides early-stage tech startups with the resources and runway they need to flourish. The LBA has a current application cycle open for Cohort 7. The LBA is a public-private partnership between the city of Long Beach, Sunstone Management, and CSULB and has been named one of Southern California’s top tech accelerators by dot.LA.
About Sunstone Management
Sunstone Management is a diversified private capital management firm with headquarters in Southern California that provides a range of early-stage venture capital, real estate, and fixed income to qualified and accredited investors. The firm delivers new and exciting options for economic growth through innovative public-private partnerships, making use of its unique experience across government, education, and private sectors. Identified by Financial Times as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies three years in a row. Connect with Sunstone Management at:
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*We refer to early-stage technology entrepreneurs as Founders. Information provided here is to inform about the types of small business start-ups that have been selected for participation in certain programs in which Sunstone participates. Information provided here is aspirational and there is no assurance of success. Early-stage investing comes with an inherently high degree of risk. The information provided is neither an offer to sell or an inducement to offer to buy interests in any Sunstone sponsored fund that may have invested in the Founder.