Ryff, a tech startup in virtual product placement, will pilot its technology with Comcast after emerging as the top startup from the LIFToff VideoAI Challenge. The Ryff team will work with Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) to deliver next-gen video advertising experiences.

The LIFToff programme, developed by Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, identifies opportunities for partnerships between the company and startups on the verge of large-scale commercialisation. The LIFToff VideoAI challenge emerged as audiences consume more advertising-based free content and companies continue to reimagine the viewing experience.

LIFT Labs issued a call for startups developing emerging technologies that could impact the future of brand advertising. After the application process, leaders from LIFT Labs and CTS selected five startups for a pitch competition. The panel of judges selected Ryff for a pilot based on their enterprise-ready solutions.

“Over the last four years, Ryff has championed the use of AI in a way that challenges how the advertising industry traditionally views brand integration,” says Roy Taylor, Founder, and CEO, of Ryff. “We knew that we needed to think creatively, and we’re excited that Comcast NBCUniversal’s LIFT Labs shares our vision of using emerging technology as a current and future force. Winning the LIFToff VideoAI challenge is a testament to the industry’s acceptance of Ryff’s mission, and we are eager to continue pushing boundaries and pioneering the industry.”

“Ryff’s technology is very compelling with an innovative business model that creates tremendous opportunities for value creation and capture,” said Laura Plunkett, Executive Director, Startup Engagement at Comcast NBCUniversal. “In traditional product placement, a brand is simply inserted into content and it usually just stops there. Ryff creates options around seasonality, audience specificity, and even macro volatility.”