Sightly, a leading data and technology company specializing in real-time marketing solutions, has acquired the assets of Nova AI, Inc., including its BrandGuard® AI-powered brand governance technology. The strategic acquisition strengthens Sightly’s AI capabilities, expands its talent pool, and paves the way for the next phase of its Brand Mentality® platform by helping to enable real-time creative and messaging consistency across content and culture in the age of generative and agentic AI.
Sightly looks to integrate these assets and knowledge set with Brand Mentality’s real-time cultural and contextual intelligence, empowering brands to make real-time media and marketing decisions, deliver ever more authentic messaging and protect their brand identities in today’s dynamic and unpredictable landscape.
The acquisition brings several key benefits to Sightly and its clients:
- Top Talent Additions: Sightly has hired key members from BrandGuard’s Data Science and Engineering teams, enhancing its expertise and bolstering the company’s AI and technological prowess.
- Strategic Advisory: Rob May, CEO and founder of BrandGuard’s parent, Nova AI, Inc., has joined Sightly as special advisor for corporate development and AI strategy. In his new role, Rob will leverage his extensive experience in AI to help shape Sightly’s strategy and vision moving forward. Additionally, Deirdre McGlashan, who previously served as chief marketing officer at BrandGuard, has also taken on an advisory role at Sightly, where she will continue to provide strategic insights to the company.
- Enhanced AI and Brand inputs: BrandGuard’s advanced AI technology complements Sightly’s patented Brand Mentality technology, allowing opportunistic brands and media agencies to respond to breaking news and emerging cultural trends with speed and authenticity.
Adam Katz, CEO of Sightly, commented: “BrandGuard is a natural fit for Sightly. Its innovative AI-powered technology aligns perfectly with our mission to empower brands with real-time insights and the ability to maintain creative and brand suitability controls. This acquisition not only strengthens our AI capabilities but also brings a wealth of expertise that will help us further evolve our Brand Mentality platform. We are thrilled to welcome Rob, Deirdre, and the BrandGuard team to Sightly as we continue to lead the way in driving powerful results for our clients.”
Rob May, CEO and founder of BrandGuard, added: "Joining forces with Sightly creates an incredible opportunity to advance how brands can confidently and effectively engage in real-time marketing. I'm excited to bring BrandGuard's technology and expertise to Sightly's innovative platform and help shape the future of AI-powered marketing solutions."
The acquisition marks an important milestone in Sightly’s growth as its first-ever acquisition, allowing the company to expand its offerings in AI and content strategy, while creating future opportunities to expand into brand governance and providing customers with even more powerful tools for real-time decisions and marketing effectiveness. Sightly celebrates this milestone and remains actively engaged with other strategic opportunities to further drive growth and innovation.
