Coull

Niche in-video interactive advertising platform serving digital publishers and advertisers in the online video space

Coull was a Bristol, UK-based advertising technology company founded in 2008 that specialised in in-video advertising solutions. The company developed technology that allowed advertisers to overlay interactive, clickable ad units directly onto online video content, enabling viewers to engage with products or brands featured within a video without interrupting playback. This approach positioned Coull within the growing online video advertising market, serving both publishers seeking to monetise video content and advertisers looking for more contextually relevant placements. At its peak, Coull's platform connected video publishers with a marketplace of advertisers, using content recognition and contextual targeting to match relevant ads to video scenes. The company attracted venture funding and built a client base among digital publishers and media owners seeking alternatives to pre-roll and display advertising. Founder Irfon Watkins was a notable figure in the Welsh and UK tech startup ecosystem, and Coull was frequently cited as one of the more innovative AdTech ventures to emerge from the UK regions. Coull ultimately ceased operations, with its dissolution recorded at Companies House with a closure date of 1 April 2025. The company's closure marked the end of a pioneering but commercially challenging effort to make in-video interactive advertising a mainstream format. Its story reflects the broader difficulties faced by niche AdTech platforms in scaling within a market increasingly dominated by large platform players.