IRVINE, Calif., March 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, today announced that Ryan Steelberg, CEO, and Chad Steelberg, President and CTO of BAT have been selected for the prestigious 2011 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award by the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ).

Presented each year, the OCBJ Excellence in Entrepreneurship award recognizes individuals who embody the American entrepreneurial spirit and whose organizations have contributed to the strength of the region's economy.  The Steelberg brothers are among five outstanding winners selected by an independent panel of judges, announced at a luncheon and awards event yesterday, March 17.

"This has been a landmark year for BAT, and we are honored to have our efforts recognized by the OCBJ," said Ryan Steelberg.  "We are proud to be part of a community that values entrepreneurship and innovation."

Ryan and Chad Steelberg founded Irvine-based Brand Affinity Technologies (http://brandaffinity.net) in 2007.  BAT has introduced new ways for advertisers, media companies, and stars capitalize on the marketing power of celebrity through research, endorsements and interactive experiences. In 2010, BAT doubled its revenues, raised more than $20 million in Series C funding, and expanded its celebrity roster by 177 percent.  BAT also launched its first consumer app, Fantapper, which has quickly become one of the fastest growing downloads, with more than 700,000 downloads in the past 12 weeks.

BAT is the most recent success for the Steelberg brothers, who have built a track record as two of the foremost experts in digital advertising and online media.  Since 1996, Ryan and Chad have raised more than $170 million in equity financing and created more than $3.0 billion in shareholder value through BAT and previous ventures.

This is the 10th year the OCBJ has conferred Excellence in Entrepreneurship awards.  A full list of winners is available at: http://www.ocbj.com/news/2011/mar/17/smile-brands-executive-other-entrepreneurs-honored/

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) unlocks the marketing power of celebrity through research, endorsements, and interactive experiences. BAT's Endorsement Platform provides daily analysis of more than 45,000 celebrities and athletes, along with the ability to identify, license, and activate talent for cross-media advertising campaigns. BAT also leverages its research and technology engine to engage consumers directly through Fantapper (www.fantapper.com), which brings interactive apps to celebrity content across the web. Connect with BAT on Twitter: @BATimpact and Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrandAffinityTech.

SOURCE Brand Affinity Technologies