You & Mr. Jones revealed today that it has secured an additional $60 million in investment from Merian Chrysalis, increasing the Series B funding round declared in December to a total of $260 million.

This funding round establishes the company’s valuation at $1.36 billion, post-money.

You & Mr. Jones derives its name from its CEO, David Jones, who launched the company in 2015. Having previously led the advertising firm Havas as its CEO, Jones explained that his intention in establishing what he termed a “brand tech group” was to offer marketers a solution that neither conventional agencies nor technology firms could provide.

He stated, “At the time, the options were to collaborate with an agency group, which excels in branding and marketing but lacks technological understanding, or to partner with a technology company, which invariably promotes its own platform and doesn’t possess comparable [branding and marketing] proficiency.”

Consequently, You & Mr. Jones has developed its own technology platform to assist marketers with their digital, mobile, and e-commerce requirements, alongside making investments in companies such as Pinterest and Niantic. The company also pursues acquisitions – for instance, it acquired influencer marketing firm Collectively last year.

You & Mr. Jones has expanded to a workforce of 3,000 employees, and its clientele includes prominent organizations like Unilever, Accenture, Google, Adidas, Marriott, and Microsoft. Jones noted that, by the third quarter of 2020, the company’s net revenue had increased by 27% compared to the previous year.

This growth is especially noteworthy considering the effects of the pandemic on advertising expenditure. Jones pointed out that this highlights a key difference between digital advertising and the broader brand tech sector, which has experienced consistent growth, even throughout the pandemic, and distinguishes the company from agencies that are “digital and tech focused only in their public statements.”

“We are not an advertising agency, and we will not be acquiring any agencies,” he affirmed. “We possess the technology platform, procedures, and personnel to deliver comprehensive, continuous content – encompassing social media, digital channels, e-commerce, and community management.”

Alongside the funding announcement, the company also declared the appointment of Paulette Forte, formerly senior director of human services at the NBA, as its inaugural chief people officer.

“The brand tech category was nonexistent prior to the founding of You & Mr Jones,” Forte commented in a statement. “The company rapidly became a genuine industry innovator, and its expansion has been rapid. To sustain this momentum, it is essential to establish systems that support talent development, promote diversity and innovation, and create avenues for workflow improvement. I am thrilled to join the leadership team to advance this vital work.”