Vdopia has launched a new platform called ‘Chocolate’, which it claims to be the world’s only mobile programmatic marketplace allowing video ads to be bought and sold across both mobile web and apps.

The platform – which launched in Europe today (28 November) – has been designed for brand marketers and demand partners who want a “completely transparent marketplace platform that offers premium mobile video inventory at significant scale”.

According to the company, Chocolate will remove any ‘blind’ buying so that advertisers can choose exactly what device, what operating system or in what location, ads are served.

Audience verification will also be provided through measurement partner comScore with plans for Nielsen to be added soon.

Farzad Jamal, Vdopia’s European vice president, said: “Chocolate capitalises on three key video ad trends – the shift of TV pounds to online, the rise of programmatic and the emergence of mobile native advertising. It unifies a fragmented mobile video market space and addresses key issues, such as the lack of quality mobile video inventory, standards and brand safety.”

Vdopia’s technology allows video ads to be placed within any type of ad space on webpages or apps without requiring Flash or plug-ins, enabling Chocolate to be a compatible with all major operating systems including Android, Apple’s iOS and Windows.

Brands will be able to run video ads that automatically play next to content on almost any smartphone without disrupting the user’s browsing experience.

Jamal added that this is “crucial for increasing reach and keeping users on a page without annoying distractions”.