InterWest Partners

Use a Generic AI Client to Avoid Provider Lock-In

A developer describes building a generic AI client to avoid hardcoding calls to single LLM providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic). The pattern introduces an abstract AIProvider interface with async chat and chat_stream methods, and concrete provider implementations (examples for OpenAI using openai.AsyncOpenAI and a smaller provider 'Interwest' via httpx). The abstraction simplifies swapping providers, testing, and A/Bing models, but has trade-offs: leaking abstractions for widely different capabilities (image generation, function calling), varying streaming protocols, and loss of provider-specific optimizations. The author recommends starting with the interface early, adding provider-level error handling/retries, and notes libraries like litellm already implement similar approaches.

AdsNative Raises $8.5 Million Series A To Take On DFP Ad Server

AdsNative, a startup offering a native, mobile-optimized ad server with an optional yield optimizer and exchange, raised $8.5 million in Series A funding to compete with Google's DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP). The round was led by Rakuten Ventures and Interwest Partners, with Onset Ventures also participating. The company highlights publisher control over ad experiences and mentions that its ads are harder to block and load quickly. Notable clients include ABC News, Politico, The Seattle Times, Reuters, Disqus, and We Heart It. AdsNative reports approximately 4 billion ad requests per month and that 2015 revenue so far has tripled 2014. Plans include expansion in Asia and a stronger focus on mobile, with ambitions to extend native ads to additional channels such as Snapchat, Facebook Instant Articles, and Apple News.

AdsNative Gets Funding, Launches Product To Maximize Fill Rates

AdsNative, a California-based supply-side platform founded in 2012, announced a $2 million funding round led by Interwest Partners, following approximately $750,000 raised earlier as convertible debt. The capital backs the launch of Mediation/SSP, a feature designed to maximize publisher fill rates for in-stream native ads by enabling publishers to access multiple networks and exchanges from AdsNative's dashboard and by automating verification of fill performance. AdsNative plans to use most of the funds to recruit additional publishers and networks to adopt the platform, and the company reports it serves about 100 million ads per month. The startup works with Politico, Slashdot, SourceForge, Rant Media Network and The Awl, and its CEO Satish Polisetti describes AdsNative as a turnkey companion to larger ad networks, aiming to speed native campaigns from planning to execution. The firm is also exploring its own exchange.