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Zephrin Lasker, Geoff Grauer and Roshan Bangera cofounded Pontiflex.
Pontiflex, the startup that lets users sign up for ads they want, was founded almost four years ago in the heart of Brooklyn.
The now-profitable company is shifting gears and heading full-steam ahead into mobile app ads.
Hardly any resources are being put into web ads anymore, and the strategy seems to be working. In just six months, Pontiflex has had 115 million installs of its mobile ad software development kit and expects 35 million signups through its platform in 2011.
"We've had as many signups this year as in the history of the company with more than triple the revenue," says cofounder Zephrin Lasker.
With $14 million in funding, the team has grown to more than 50 employees and they're quickly outgrowing their space.
We toured the startup that's busting at the seams.
Pontiflex's office is down there on the right. It's in Brooklyn, on Front and Main Street.
The entrance looks more like an art gallery than an office.
Pontiflex is behind an intimidating steel door on the 6th floor.
They can see us waiting outside with a heavy-duty security camera. Their prior office was apparently pretty shady.
A lot of Pontiflex employees live in Brooklyn and bike to work. Racks line the whole back wall.
VP of Marketing Arun Krishnan is our tour guide.
We arrived at 4 PM. Half of the office is still bustling.
Others, like office administrator Esra Dayani, are getting ready for a night out on the town.
Many are enjoying afternoon tea time in the kitchen. Senior Software Architect Boris Musa, Sales Coordinator Lisa Khan, VP of ESP Business Development Jordan Cohen, System Admin Clinton Regis, COO/Cofounder Geoff Grauer, and Software Engineer Michael Yan try out a new tea every week.
Brian Long, SVP of Mobile, snuggles up with an angry bird. "It always helps to have an angry bird around the office – so that we are adequately prepared if the pigs pay us a visit and try and steal some eggs," Arun tells us.
Serial entrepreneur Zephrin Lasker cofounded Pontiflex. We caught him hanging around the tea.
Lasker sold his car to bootstrap Pontiflex. The license plate serves as a reminder of the early, scrappy days.
The fridge is full of frozen meat pies, the Pontiflex snack of choice.
Cofounder Geoff Grauer has scars on his arm from a nasty accident with a french press. The coffee machine exploded on him in a restaraunt, and he's posted a warning to other unsuspecting french press users.
The wine bottle collection marks sales milestones for Pontiflex. The big bottle was bought (and drank) when sales reached $75,000/day.
Here's the sales team responsible for bringing in $75,000/day. All of the national directors sit together.
"WTF?" Thinks Brad Cherney, Director of National Sales as we snap a picture of him and the rest of the sales team. Lasker is still clutching the angry bird in the background while sipping tea.
Mobile Associate John Boylston looks pretty sketched out by our camera. It doesn't seem to phase his colleague, Eric Gibbons, though.
The day isn't over for CFO Robert Harris, CIO/COO Geoff Grauer, and Director of Marketing Stacy Huggins.
Pontiflex participates in the NYC Turing Fellowship Program which places students at startups. Matt Conlen is the summer intern/Turing Fellow.
All of the rooms are inspired by The Big Lebowski. They're named The Dude, Private Residence, and Goldbricker. This one, The Hill, is for sleepy employees who want to steal some shut eye on the sofabed.
Zephrin Lasker, Geoff Grauer and Roshan Bangera cofounded Pontiflex together. They posed for the camera right before we ducked out.
