Invisibly Announces Acquisition of Vrity, a Values-Based Brand Measurement Firm

This acquisition announcement comes on the heels of a major partnership with McClatchy publishing unveiled by McKelvey in March from the SXSW keynote stage.

Invisibly, a St. Louis-based technology startup revolutionizing how consumers derive value from personal data, announced its acquisition of Vrity. Also headquartered in St. Louis, Vrity is a data company specializing in the measurement of brand values with its proprietary Values Return Index (VRI) score.

Founded by Jim McKelvey (co-founder, Block, formerly known as Square) and backed by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Invisibly is building a future where people can earn from their data to access content they love.

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“Invisibly’s integration of Vrity’s brand measurement algorithm will create a powerful way for brands to generate insights on consumer preferences, while keeping a people-first approach to the Invisibly data ecosystem,” said McKelvey.

Vrity CEO and co-founder, Jesse Wolfersberger, joins the Invisibly leadership team as Head of Data. A data scientist and AI thought leader, Wolfersberger’s background in digital marketing, incentives, and loyalty makes him especially suited to continue building Invisibly’s people-first data platform.

“The two most important trends in marketing today are consented data and purpose-driven brands,” said Wolfersberger. “That’s why Invisibly and Vrity are the perfect pairing to deliver actionable insights in a rapidly changing marketplace.”

Vrity co-founder Chris Copeland joins Invisibly as a Senior Strategic Advisor. Having held senior roles with some of the largest brands in the world, Copeland brings a breadth of leadership experience in business strategy, advertising, and technology to the Invisibly team.

“Invisibly has been instrumental in Vrity realizing its mission to translate brand values into business outcomes,” adds Copeland. “I’m excited about advising Invisibly on its purpose and seeing the impact it has on consumer data, the future of journalism, and the role brands play in supporting both.”

Invisibly’s Vrity acquisition announcement comes on the heels of a major partnership with McClatchy publishing company unveiled by McKelvey in March from the SXSW keynote stage. The McClatchy partnership allows Invisibly app users to bypass local news paywalls in key markets in exchange for points earned with personal data.

The Invisibly app will be available to download via the App Store and Google Play in late May. The app gives readers the ability to access local news content without paywalls or ads from award-winning McClatchy publications like the Miami Herald, Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, Sacramento Bee, and several others.

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