What Smiling does

Smiling Srl is a privately held Italian innovation company (PMI Innovativa) founded in 2017 in Milan, operating across MarTech/AdTech, blockchain/Web 3.0, fintech, gaming, and system integration. Its core offerings center on three platform lines: Smiling.video, a third-generation video advertising and distribution network spanning more than 500 Italian and European publisher portals with approximately 120 million monthly video views; the Smiling Token / Cryptoloyalty blockchain division, which enables brands to publish proprietary NFTs interoperable with major marketplaces and to run blockchain-based loyalty programs with crypto cashback (most notably the Bennet NFT Club, the first such project in Italian organized retail); and Smiling SI, a custom system integration and mission-critical software development practice serving financial and enterprise clients.

The underlying technology stack combines proprietary ad-serving and video intelligence (with the Smiling AI module optimizing media mix across the conversion funnel), integrations with Google Analytics, Neodata Adagio, Appnexus, and SpotX for programmatic delivery, blockchain wallets and NFT marketplace connectivity (MetaMask, OpenSea), and Connected TV capabilities built on innovative 'Lanner' formats. Additional products include CreditChain (Italy's first invoice credit risk center for banks) and Risiko! Online, an officially licensed digital version of the Risiko! board game launched in beta in October 2025.

Smiling operates a B2B, project- and platform-based revenue model combining advertising fees on the video distribution network, project-based and licensing revenue from custom NFT and blockchain loyalty deployments (e.g., NFT tiers priced €20-€30 for consumer loyalty), professional services revenue from system integration engagements, and an emerging consumer gaming monetization stream via Risiko! Online in-app purchases. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-focused, with direct engagement to more than 50 Italian and international top-brand clients (including Disney, Samsung, Vodafone, TIM, Intesa Sanpaolo, Lavazza, Lindt, Audi, Amazon, and American Express), supported by a partnership programme for consulting firms, media agencies, and software houses across Italy, the UK, Germany, and France. The company is led by founders Giorgio D'Amore (CEO), Massimo Garzulino (COO), and Sandro Trapella (CTO), and has raised more than €1.1 million from professional and institutional investors since 2016.

Name

Smiling

Legal name

Smiling Srl

Website

https://smiling.video

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smiling is a Milan-based Italian innovation company building proprietary MarTech/AdTech, blockchain/Web 3.0, fintech, and gaming platforms — including a 500-publisher video distribution network, NFT loyalty systems, and the official Risiko! Online game — serving 50+ enterprise brands across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

MarTech and AdTech Software Platforms

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Programmatic Display & Retargeting (DSP) (MPAAACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Loyalty, Rewards & Retention Platforms (BPAFAFAH)

Keywords

• Video advertising platform
• Blockchain marketing software
• NFT loyalty solutions
• Programmatic video distribution
• System integration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Revenue model

1. Video Advertising Platform: Smiling.video is a video advertising platform enabling planning of preroll videos on quality content. Revenue is generated through advertising fees charged to brand clients who run campaigns on the platform, with payments from publishers and content providers using the platform's monetization features.
2. NFT and Blockchain Services: Custom NFT platform publishing, cryptoloyalty solutions, and blockchain-based loyalty programs for enterprise retail clients. Revenue generated through project fees, platform licensing, and consulting for Web 3.0 marketing initiatives.
3. System Integration and Software Development: Custom software development and system integration projects for complex enterprise environments. Revenue through project-based professional services engagements.
4. Publisher and Content Provider Network: Distribution of video content across hundreds of websites in Europe and worldwide. Publishers receive content for free with no fixed costs; monetization through shared advertising revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smiling Srl is an Italian Innovation Company that develops proprietary software platforms spanning video advertising (Smiling.video), blockchain and NFT (Smiling Token, Cryptoloyalty), fintech (CreditChain), connected TV advertising, AI-driven ad optimization, gaming (Risiko! Online), and custom system integration services. The company sells these platforms and consulting services primarily to enterprise brands, large retailers, publishers, and financial institutions to enable marketing, advertising, loyalty, and brand engagement use cases.

Product overview

Smiling is an Innovation Company offering a portfolio of platforms spanning video advertising (Smiling.video with Smiling AI and Smiling Connected TV modules), blockchain technologies (Smiling Token with Cryptoloyalty), fintech (CreditChain), gaming (Risiko! Online), and system integration services. The core Smiling.video platform enables publishers to distribute video content across 500+ websites with 120M monthly views, while the Smiling Token blockchain division provides NFT marketplace creation and crypto loyalty solutions for retail brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smiling.video Third-generation web platform for publishing and distributing quality video content on news, information, sports, and entertainment websites. Enables publishers to embed videos within articles without fixed costs and provides advertisers with quality video inventory across 500+ publisher sites with 120 million monthly views.
• Smiling Token Blockchain platform for creating owned NFT marketplaces that are totally customizable and interoperable with major global NFT marketplaces. Enables companies to publish proprietary NFTs for marketing, loyalty, and brand engagement purposes.
• Cryptoloyalty Blockchain-based loyalty platform enabling companies to offer loyalty points systems for NFT purchases or cryptocurrency cashback. Combines advantages of centralized platform with redemption on decentralized wallets. Targeted at retail chains and consumer brands.
• Smiling AI

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 2,700 NFT objects for the Bennet NFT Club with registrations exceeding supply at launch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• The Continuity CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2023The Continuity Company collaborated with Smiling on the Bennet Metaverso project for the Raccolta Punti Bennet Club 2023. Together with Smiling, they designed a new way to engage Bennet consumers by allowing them to explore prize catalogs through an innovative virtual experience in the Metaverse. This solution represents one of the activation examples the company's digital division is working on.
• IED (Istituto Europeo di Design)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 January 2023IED collaborated with Smiling and Bennet on the Bennet NFT Club project, creating the design for the new Bennet shopping bags (2022 collection) which formed the basis for the NFT designs. The 2,700 NFTs were designed around these IED-created shopping bags. Three NFT tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver) included IED-designed merchandise and NFTs.
• BennetflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSmiling partnered with Bennet (Italian hypermarket chain) as the technology provider for multiple innovative projects: Bennet NFT Club (blockchain loyalty with 2,700 NFTs), the Metaverse experience for Bennet Club 2023 points collection, and ongoing loyalty program development. Bennet is the first GDO company in Italy to use blockchain/NFT for customer loyalty. This is Smiling's flagship retail partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Teads: Global video ad-tech platform connecting advertisers to premium publisher inventory, including CTV. A scaled incumbent overlapping with Smiling's video advertising and CTV value proposition.
• FreeWheel (Comcast): Comcast-owned video ad-tech suite covering premium publisher monetization, CTV and cross-screen campaigns. A much larger incumbent in the same ad-tech category as Smiling.video and Smiling CTV.

Direct peers

• Innovid: Independent ad-tech platform for connected-TV and video advertising, providing ad serving, creative personalization and measurement across CTV. Directly comparable to Smiling's Smiling.video + Smiling CTV stack serving brand advertisers across video channels.
• Beachfront Media: Independent video ad-tech platform spanning OTT/CTV, programmatic and direct deals. Comparable to Smiling's CTV Lanner formats and AI-driven video funnel optimization targeting brand advertisers.
• Antavo: Loyalty cloud platform for brands and retailers, focused on enterprise loyalty programs. Closely comparable to Smiling's Cryptoloyalty offering, with Antavo representing the more traditional (non-blockchain) competitive alternative.
• Publica (FreeWheel): CTV ad server for broadcasters and publishers, now part of FreeWheel/Comcast. Directly comparable to the CTV/OTT ad-serving component of Smiling.video and the publisher-side video monetization model.
• Open Loyalty: Headless loyalty platform enabling brands to build custom loyalty programs. Comparable to the Cryptoloyalty product line on the platform/loyalty-tech layer, though Open Loyalty is non-blockchain.
• SpringServe: Video ad serving and programmatic optimization platform used by publishers and SSPs. Closely comparable to the publisher-side, programmatic-enabled layer of Smiling.video integrated with Appnexus and SpotX.

Emerging players

• Sweet: Digital loyalty and promotions platform used by consumer brands to run NFT-based and digital reward campaigns. Comparable to Smiling Cryptoloyalty/Smiling Token for blockchain-enabled brand loyalty activations.

Regional players

• Vidoomy: European video advertising and CTV platform operating across Spain, Italy, France and LATAM. Comparable regional video ad-tech peer operating in overlapping European geographies as Smiling.video.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smiling-blockchain

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smiling