Online ad startup Rocket Fuel Inc. will hire up to 15 more engineers and developers this year, after receiving $6.6 million in new financing.
The company is looking for candidates with experience in PHP, Hadoop, and in managing large volumes of data, said CEO and founder George John, 40.
Rocket Fuel was founded in 2008 with a mission of building a "killer advertising engine," John says. The company works with companies like sneaker maker Brooks to find the optimal Web sites to target their online advertising campaigns in display, video and mobile.
The company is also looking for applicants with experience in data mining and artificial intelligence to create predictive models that can tell clients where their ad campaigns are likely to have the most impact.
Based in Silicon Valley, Rocket Fuel was already growing before this latest round of funding. It expanded from 60 to 92 employees in the first three months of the year. The company plans to add up to 50 more employees by the end of the year, including in up to 15 in marketing and up to 10 in operations.
For engineers, it's not enough to have a Ph.D. to work at Rocket Fuel. Candidates need to have a passion for building a profitable business.
"It's challenging to find the right mind set," John said. "A lot of the people we talk to in these areas, they go to research programs at major universities and they're not as motivated by moving the dial on the business end."
Every employee receives stock in the company. The company is valued at $160 million and expects revenues of more than $50 million this year. John declined to comment on compensation other than to say that it offers market rates.
The company culture is "nerdy and lovable," John, who has a Ph.D. from Stanford and is a Yahoo alum, said.
Write to Joseph Walker
