MiTú announces launch of technology platform to boost mobile presence

Latino digital network MiTú announced on Wednesday that it is launching its own technology platform with help from its recently acquired mobile video company Lightt.

Since its inception in 2012, MiTú, backed by the Chernin Group and other investors, has grown to 100 million global subscribers. Lightt, which MiTú acquired in February, is a mobile platform that allows users to capture moments, shape them with real-time editing and then share them with others.

MiTú said the new platform “provides an ability to discover, onboard, and manage creators and influencers from across the social web, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.” The hope is the platform will also help the company “better understand audiences and monetize content across these platforms.”

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The news marks MiTú’s efforts to expand its presence in the digital space, specifically on mobile platforms. Though the Santa Monica-based company is traditionally labeled as a multichannel network, a term used to identify companies that specifically help digital stars navigate the landscape, it is taking steps to rebrand as a digital media company.

MiTú already boasts several partnerships with brands including Discovery, Spanish-language media giant Televisa, AOL, Univision and Disney’s Maker Studios.

“Media consumption habits are rapidly evolving, with audiences engaging on a range of social platforms that are constantly shifting,” Roy Burstin, MiTú’s CEO, said in a statement. “To succeed we need to provide outstanding support to our influencers while learning how our audiences are consuming content across all available platforms, and what are the categories that perform best. Our expanded technology ecosystem... gives us the ability to offer a data-driven approach to both our influencers and our brand and media partners.”

MiTú also tapped Michael Su, former head of product for Upworthy, as chief product officer. He will work closely with Alex Mostoufi, MiTú’s chief technology officer and founder of Lightt, to further develop the platform.

“From cultivating a highly creative, engaged user base to offering a wide range of media creation and audience development tools, we are building a platform that is truly state-of-the-art in digital media,” Mostoufi said in a statement.

MiTú said it will roll out new products and new partnerships starting in the fourth quarter of 2015.

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