500 Startup’s Nordic Fund Invests in Oslo-Based Socius

Oslo-based content curation platform Socius has received $400,000 in seed funding from 500 Startup’s Nordic Fund and Raa Invest, according to a report in TechCrunch. The Nordic Fund is 500 Startup’s $15-million regional fund targeting the Nordic region, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

Socius helps publishers, brands and marketing agencies curate social content in what the company says is a uniquely stylish and responsive mobile format. Socius’ platform can also be used to develop microsites and online brochures for content marketing campaigns. The company says it specializes in storytelling and creating engaging content, including native ads, that delivers high conversion rates.  According to its web site, its clients include publishing giant Condé Nast.

“We have evolved from being a simple social media aggregator to a tool solving the major challenges in the publishing industry,” Daniel Butler, CEO of Socius, told TechCrunch. “We are laser-focused on monetization and return on investment by offering contextually relevant native ads and call-to-actions that are adblock resistant.”