In this episode, Andrew Casale, CEO of Index Exchange, discusses the groundbreaking innovations in Adtech, including the containerisation of the Bedrock DSP on the Index Cloud, and the future of open web ecosystems. Key insights include the impact of Index Cloud on cost reduction, speed, and performance, as well as the shift towards a more open, collaborative industry.

Andrew closes the loop on what he told us last June: that the market needed to move past duplicative platform work and reprice infrastructure to near zero. Index Cloud is the productisation of that thesis and Bedrock, paired with it, is the first real-world proof that a small, focused DSP can listen to the entire internet at scale and compete on value-add rather than access to capital.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the FPC Podcast and Guests

01:06 Recap of Possible and Index Cloud Announcement

03:24 Understanding Index Cloud and Its Innovations

07:05 Performance Improvements and Cost Reductions

12:19 The Future of Ad Tech and Market Dynamics

15:51 Turning Points in Ad Tech and DSP Opportunities

20:59 Challenges in Live Sports and QPS Management

25:17 The Role of Containerisation in Ad Tech

30:00 The Open Internet vs. Walled Gardens

34:48 The Future of Collaboration in Ad Tech

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss the evolving Adtech landscape, focusing on first-party data, cloud-native infrastructure, and innovations in streaming TV advertising. We explore how new technologies like containerised DSPs and attention measurement are shaping the future of digital advertising.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the AdTech Ecosystem

01:28 The Evolution of AdTech Infrastructure

03:53 The Rise of Containerised DSPs

07:34 AdTech Innovations in Live Streaming

09:53 Margin Compression in AdTech

14:32 Investing in Innovative AdTech Solutions

20:02 Technical Difficulties and Communication Challenges

21:00 Investment Convictions in Ad Tech

22:02 The Role of Bedrock in Ad Tech Innovation

24:49 Cloud Computing and Data Privacy in Ad Tech

27:51 The Importance of First-Party Data

30:46 Lumen's Role in Attention Measurement

34:02 Future Trends in Ad Tech and Closing Remarks

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Introduction to FPC and Corporate Innovation

02:08 The FPC Stack and Its Evolution

06:07 Corporate Partnerships and Innovation Strategies

09:55 Market Intelligence and Insights

17:59 Addressing Challenges in Ad Tech and Publishing

22:08 Incubation and Future Innovations

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail Media and DOOH are two hot sectors atm - and this is their lovechild

00:00 Introduction to Vendi and 'Industrial' Ad Tech

03:03 The Intersection of Out of Home and Retail Media

05:58 Vendi's Unique Business Model and Case Studies

09:00 Insights from the First Party Team

11:53 The Future of Out of Home Advertising

14:58 Consumer Psychology and Brand Engagement

18:02 Scaling Vendi's Operations

21:01 Potential Acquirers and Market Positioning

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:50 Ruben Niet's Background and Insights

05:54 The Concept of Data Collaboration

08:59 Market Dynamics and Competition

11:56 Growth and Expansion Plans

15:00 Retail Media and Case Studies

17:58 Amazon's Market Influence

21:02 Google's Antitrust Trial and Industry Impact

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:57 Recent Developments in AdTech

06:06 Arthur's Entrepreneurial Journey

09:02 Vibe's Growth Strategy and Funding

12:03 Fixing AdTech: A New Approach

14:57 Targeting the Long Tail of Advertisers

18:02 Growth Metrics and Strategies

21:04 Future Trajectory and Investor Expectations

24:12 Hiring and Company Culture

27:06 Parting Thoughts and Key Takeaways

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:49 Deep Intent's Acquisition and the Healthcare Ad Tech Landscape

09:15 Bending Spoons Acquires Vimeo: A Strategic Move

17:48 Digiseq's Acquisition by Hawk Infinity: A New Player in Ad Tech

24:22 Streamr's Acquisition by Magnite: Expanding Creative Solutions

26:50 Spaceback and Rembrandt Merger: Ambitious Plans Ahead

28:44 Captify's Acquisition by Verve: Analyzing the Deal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:28 M&A Activity in European Ad Tech

05:31 Trends in European Ad Tech Acquisitions

09:01 Diversity of Acquirers in Ad Tech

11:50 The Importance of Financial Conversations

14:55 Merging MadTech Money with ATS London

18:10 Panel Discussions and Key Topics

21:06 Challenges in Ad Tech Financing

23:53 Insights from Industry Leaders

27:05 Future of Ad Tech and Investment Opportunities

30:09 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Introduction to Audiences and Its Mission

02:48 The Importance of First-Party Data

06:08 How Audiences Differentiates Itself

08:57 Real-Time Data Access and Its Impact

12:03 Competitive Landscape and Market Positioning

14:49 Revenue Growth and Future Plans

17:52 Strategic Partnerships and Opportunities

21:12 Vision for the Future and Closing Thoughts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

05:11 Andrew Casale's Early Journey in Ad Tech

09:54 The Evolution of Index Exchange

14:59 Business Model and Market Strategy

19:52 Trends in Ad Tech: AI and Sell-Side Curation

25:03 Index's Corporate Dev Strategy and Potential IPO Plans

29:52 Index's Strategic Investment into FirstPartyCapital

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

03:02 Impact of Tariffs on Digital Advertising

05:45 De-globalization and Its Effects on Advertising

09:13 Emerging Opportunities in European Markets

12:05 Perception Issues in Advertising

15:00 The Role of Advertising in Business

17:54 The Future of Agencies and Services

20:54 Under-appreciated Trends in Media and Advertising

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01:26 M&A Activity in Ad Tech / Insights on Greenbids Acquisition

10:02 Founder's Perspective on M&A

14:09 Picnic's Fundraising Journey

22:02 Shift to Media Quality at Picnic

29:55 Ad Tech Partnerships and Curation

36:05 Future of Picnic and Industry Trends

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

05:26 The Role of a Venture Studio

12:35 Incubation and Innovation Strategies

19:30 Building an Expert Network

25:48 Investor Perspectives and SEIS Opportunities

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04:59 Mark's Journey in Ad Tech

10:08 The Evolution of Ad Tech and DoubleVerify's Role

15:10 M&A Strategy and Investment Insights

19:56 DoubleVerify's Investment in FPC and Future Collaborations

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:59 Shane Shevlin's Journey in Ad Tech

05:53 The Impact of Recent M&A Activity

08:58 Insights on WPP's Acquisition of Infosum

11:48 The Future of M&A in Ad Tech

15:08 The Rise of Curation in Ad Tech

17:54 Bedrock Platform: A New Player in Ad Tech

20:56 The Role of Bedrock in the Ad Tech Ecosystem

24:05 The Future of Media Buying and Curation

26:59 Investment Opportunities in Bedrock

30:07 Conclusion and Future Outlook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10:00 Mathieu Roche and ID5 Overview

20:01 Funding Journey and Challenges

24:04 Acquisitions and Market Trends

31:56 Agency Success in Acquisitions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:30 Anne's Journey in Ad Tech

04:02 Scope3's Mission and Sustainability Focus

06:42 Fundraising Experience in Ad Tech

09:06 Latest Product Launches and Innovations

13:22 The Role of Super Signal Aggregators

18:31 Partnerships and Collaborations

23:38 Future Vision and Market Positioning

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01:25 T-Mobile's Acquisition of Bliss: A Strategic Move

05:59 The Implications of T-Mobile's Strategy in Ad Tech

11:50 Publicis Acquires Lotome: Industry Reactions

14:12 Curation and the Evolution of Ad Tech

19:00 The Rise of Sell-Side Curation

26:26 Future Innovations in Ad Tech and Data Privacy

32:21 AI in Ad Tech: Opportunities and Challenges

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Introduction

03:00 IPO Trends in Ad Tech

06:09 Mountain's IPO Plans and Market Dynamics

08:59 DoubleVerify's Acquisition of Rockerbox

11:56 The Evolution of Ad Tech and Signal Aggregation

14:50 Keith's Journey with Lockr

17:59 Navigating Privacy Regulations in Ad Tech

20:56 The Role of Investors and The Importance of Good Communication

23:50 Lockr's Product Evolution

27:01 Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to FirstPartyCapital

01:27 Origin Stories

07:20 The Evolution of Ad Tech and Funding Challenges

15:10 The Unique Approach of FirstPartyCapital

30:29 Looking Ahead: Fund 2 and Future Plans

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Intro

01:20 StackAdapt's $235M Funding Round

04:38 Insights on StackAdapt's Business Model

07:08 Serving the SMB & indie agency segment

12:47 Kevel's Acquisition of Nexta

15:29 The Evolution of Retail Media and Commerce Media

18:52 MIQ's Involvement in Retail Media

24:25 MIQ's Corporate Development Strategy

26:30 The Impact of AI on Advertising

33:43 What's next for MIQ?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Introduction and FPC Updates

06:00 tvScientific's $25M Series B Funding Round

12:01 Teads and Outbrain Acquisition merger

17:03 Horizon's Strategic Expansion Plans

25:07 Coinbase Acquires Spindl: A New Era in Web3 Advertising

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:49 The Evolution of Data Privacy in Ad Tech

06:11 Optimal's Series A Acceleration and Market Implications

08:52 Evorra's Unique Selling Proposition in Data Collaboration

11:56 Data Partnerships and Audience Activation

14:49 AI's Role in Data Management and Optimisation

20:54 The Impact of AI on Ad Tech and Market Dynamics

27:02 Evorra's Growth Strategy and Future Outlook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

06:56 Trade Desk's Acquisition of Sincera: Implications and Insights

14:08 Out of Home Advertising: T-Mobile acquires Vistar Media and Bauer acquires ClearChannel's Northern European business

20:58 Emerging Trends in Ad Tech: Casino Vertical Ad Networks and Beyond

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Introduction and Industry Overview

02:57 Paul Kang's Background and Role at Dentsu

05:49 Recent M&A Activity in ad tech

11:57 Impact of the Omnicom and IPG Merger

18:01 Dentsu's Corporate VC Strategy

30:14 The Algorithmic Era in Advertising

As Kevin Flood says, “the sun never sets on the ad tech horizon!"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 Introduction

01:41 Andrew Buckman's Career Journey

02:10 Experian's Acquisition of Audigent

07:03 Insights on Experian's Strategy

10:52 Channel Factory Rumuors and Valuation Discussion

13:09 Holdco News: Omnicom and IPG Merger

14:15 Impact of Omnicom and IPG Merger on the Industry

20:43 Indie Agencies and Market Dynamics

24:11 Azerion and the Goldbach Acquisition

35:33 Strategic Partnerships and Future Outlook

37:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alvaro del Castillo, CEO of TapTap, shares insights from his journey scaling TapTap since 2010, the evolution of the ad tech landscape, and the playbook for scaling businesses in Europe. The conversation also highlights the growing interest from private equity firms in the ad tech space, as well as the explosion in strategic acquirers since 2021.

We also discuss BedRock Platform's latest hire, Austin Scott, who has joined from Microsoft as Chief Commercial officer and co-founder.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests

01:49 M&A Activity in Ad Tech and MarTech

06:10 The Evolution of European Ad Tech

10:33 Challenges and Opportunities in Scaling in Europe

13:49 Insights on M&A Trends and Private Equity Interest

17:49 Navigating the European Market: Cultural and Operational Challenges

21:12 Expanding into Latin America

23:50 Early Days of TapTap and Fundraising Experiences

30:00 Austin Scott Joins Bedrock as Chief Commercial Officer

34:54 Advice for Founders in the Ad Tech Space

Links

• FPC's M&A tracker
• TapTap announces partnership with bd capital
• Austin Scott joins Bedrock Platform as CCO

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another busy week for ad tech M&A! MediaOcean acquired Innovid for $500M, and Bending Spoons acquired Brightcove for $233M M&A activities.

In funding news, Zeotap announced a $25M Series D, a combination of debt and equity, reportedly taking the total amount raised to $117M.

We also examine the financial motivations behind the growing trend of Curation, and discuss Bedrock Platform's Closed Loop Curation approach.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ad Tech Trends

02:59 M&A Activity in Ad Tech

06:08 Emerging Players: Bending Spoons and Brightcove

09:01 Innovid and MediaOcean: A New CTV Powerhouse

12:09 Zeotap's Series D Funding and Market Position

15:00 Curation in Ad Tech: The Rise of Bedrock

17:57 The Financial Dynamics of Curation

20:58 Conclusion and Future Outlook

Links

• FPC M&A Tracker
• Bending Spoon's IPO plans
• Clean room sketch by Exchangewire

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the FPC podcast, the team discusses the latest financial news in ad tech, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, the rise of Super Signal Aggregators (SSAs), and the verticalisation of ad networks. The conversation features insights from industry experts on the importance of data and attention technology, as well as the evolving landscape of B2B marketing. In this conversation, Mike Follett discusses the evolution of Lumen's partnerships, the importance of simplicity in ad tech, and how attention metrics correlate with brand uplift and profit. He emphasises the future focus on signal aggregation and AI's role in enhancing creative capabilities. The discussion also touches on the challenges of navigating valuations and the importance of capital efficiency in building sustainable businesses.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Team Dynamics

03:09 M&A Trends in Ad Tech

06:10 The Rise of Super Signal Aggregators

09:02 Verticalisation in Ad Tech

11:56 The Future of B2B Ad Networks

14:54 Lumen's Role in Attention Technology

20:42 Partnerships and Client Demand

23:31 The Importance of Simplicity in Ad Tech

24:52 Linking Attention to Brand Uplift

28:52 Future Focus: Signals Aggregation and AI in Creative

32:03 Navigating Valuations and Capital Efficiency

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the inaugural episode of the FPC podcast, Rich, Ciaran and Alex discuss recent M&A activity, the emergence of super signal aggregators, and the potential impact of US election on the M&A landscape. They highlight the success of companies like AppLovin and The Trade Desk, delve into the growing retail media sector, and introduce Pixels, a company focused on transforming vertical video for the open web. The conversation emphasises the evolving nature of ad tech and the opportunities for investment and growth in the sector.

Key Takeaways

• M&A activity is increasing in the ad tech space.
• The ad tech industry is bifurcating into signal and media execution.
• Super signal aggregators are becoming crucial in ad tech.
• Political changes may influence M&A activity in the coming years.
• AppLovin and Trade Desk are leading success stories in ad tech.
• Retail media is a growing sector with significant potential.
• Pixels aims to bring vertical video to the open web.
• The market for vertical video is growing rapidly.
• Generalist investors should be aware of the opportunities, but also the complexities in the ad tech space.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to The FPC Podcast

01:49 M&A Trends in Ad Tech

06:10 The Rise of Super Signal Aggregators

09:48 Political Impacts on the M&A Landscape

14:10 Success Stories: AppLovin and The Trade Desk

17:56 Retail Media and Non-Traditional Ad Businesses

21:48 Pixels: The Future of Vertical Video

29:55 Market Potential and Future Plans for Pixels

Pixels - Additional Info

To learn more about Pixels, check out the full video interview here, and the pitch deck here.

FirstPartyCapital - Additional Info

To learn more about FPC, check out our website here, and subscribe to our newsletter here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.