JiWire, the mobile Wi-Fi network reaching 40 million users each month, announced today that it raised $20 million in funding led by Trident Capital. In the past year, JiWire expanded its business to enable advertising across both mobile applications and public Wi-Fi using Compass, an interactive platform that makes locating brands easier. Compass turns standard display ads into full screen app-like experiences that are geotargeted to a user’s location.

Another example of JiWire’s expansion is its partnership with Groupon to hyperlocalize daily deals. We referenced a Google study on smartphone users in April that found 95 percent of smartphone users are searching for local information.We can expect to see location-based advertising continue to bridge the gap between the lesser known local SMB and the mobile consumer.