When former FNB CEO Michael Jordaan invests, people pay attention — not because of hype but because he has a track record of spotting businesses that solve real problems before the market catches on.
This time, his investment vehicle has backed Adbot, a South African-built marketing technology company led by CEO Michelle Geere.
The company has been quietly growing for six years, long before AI became a daily talking point, helping businesses run and optimise their Google advertising without the time, cost or complexity that usually comes with it. Adbot was built to sit in that gap.
What started as a tool for small business owners who could not afford agencies is now being used by marketing managers inside much larger organisations. Teams of one or two people are being asked to deliver the same results that once required 10. The pressure has increased. The resources have not. That shift is what makes this investment interesting.
In this interview, Michelle Geere explains in plain language:
- how Adbot works;
- why the company focused on solving one narrow problem first; and
- how real-world use cases, including those inside Jordaan-backed businesses, shaped the decision to invest.
She also shares:
- where Adbot is heading next; and
- why the future is not just about placing ads but about rethinking how modern marketing teams work end to end.
This is not a story about AI replacing people; it is a story about time, leverage and building tools that let humans focus on the work that actually matters.
Watch the full conversation below:
TimesLIVE
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