Summary of PubMatic FY Conference Call - August 19, 2025 Company Overview - **Company**: PubMatic (PUBM) - **Industry**: Digital Advertising, specifically focusing on Supply-Side Platform (SSP) services Key Points and Arguments 1. **Investment Case**: PubMatic is positioned well in the digital advertising industry, benefiting from trends such as the growth of Connected TV (CTV) and programmatic advertising, while holding a leadership position in the SSP market [1][2][3] 2. **Business Model**: The company connects four key stakeholders: content creators, ad buyers, data owners, and commerce media participants, utilizing its own infrastructure to enhance ad business growth [2][3] 3. **Financial Performance**: PubMatic reported its 37th consecutive quarter of adjusted EBITDA profitability, indicating a strong financial profile and healthy free cash flow, which supports ongoing innovation [4] 4. **Market Share**: PubMatic holds approximately 4% market share in the SSP space, competing against Google (60%) and Magnite (6%) [7] 5. **Growth Areas**: Significant growth is observed in CTV, commerce media, and supply path optimization (SPO), with CTV now accounting for about 20% of revenue and growing over 50% year-over-year [14][18] 6. **SPO Growth**: SPO has increased to 55% of PubMatic's business, up from 35% a few years ago, indicating a trend where buyers consolidate ad spend onto fewer SSPs [18][54] 7. **Impact of DSP Changes**: A major DSP partner's shift to a new platform has caused a temporary headwind, with expected revenue decline of 8% to 15% in Q3, attributed to political headwinds and the DSP's inventory evaluation changes [26][30] 8. **Diversification Strategy**: The company is focusing on diversifying ad spend away from legacy DSPs, with growth in mid-tier DSPs and partnerships with companies like Amazon and Mountain [31][46] 9. **AI Integration**: PubMatic is leveraging AI to enhance its platform, allowing buyers to use simple prompts for audience targeting and campaign management, which is expected to drive future growth [56] 10. **Google Antitrust**: Potential remedies from ongoing antitrust litigation against Google could significantly impact PubMatic's market share and revenue, with estimates suggesting $50 million of EBITDA for each percentage point share shift [64][66] Additional Important Insights - **Market Dynamics**: The shift of ad dollars from traditional TV to CTV and programmatic advertising is seen as a secular tailwind for PubMatic [12][13] - **Publisher Traffic**: Approximately 40% of PubMatic's business is from mobile app and CTV, which are less affected by search referral traffic, indicating resilience against search-related headwinds [21] - **Long-term Outlook**: The company remains optimistic about its growth trajectory, focusing on high-value video and emerging revenue streams, which are doubling [37][38] - **Behavioral Remedies**: The DOJ's proposed behavioral remedies against Google could lead to a more equitable bidding process across SSPs, potentially benefiting PubMatic [66][69] This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the PubMatic FY Conference Call, highlighting the company's strategic positioning, financial health, and market opportunities amidst challenges.

Summary of PubMatic Fireside Chat Company Overview - **Company**: PubMatic - **Industry**: Digital Advertising Technology - **Core Business**: A global platform connecting content creators, ad buyers, and data owners to facilitate digital advertising transactions [2][3] Key Points and Arguments Business Model and Offerings - PubMatic started as a sell-side platform (SSP) focused on publishers and has expanded to include various stakeholders in the advertising ecosystem [3] - Unique offerings include: - Leading SSP driving significant yield for publishers - Supply Path Optimization (SPO) to consolidate ad spend [4] - Fast-growing commerce media business with clients like PayPal and Instacart [4][5] - Operates on owned infrastructure, which enhances profitability and performance [5] Revenue Breakdown - Revenue sources: - CTV (Connected TV) business: 20% of revenues, growing over 50% year-over-year [6][10] - Mobile app business: 20% of revenues [6] - New revenue streams launched in the last two years: 8% of revenue [7] Market Conditions - The advertising market is relatively stable, with a shift towards performance, transparency, and control [9][10] - Anticipated growth in CTV, commerce media, and mobile app environments [10] - AI is changing workflows and reducing reliance on legacy systems [10] Competitive Landscape - PubMatic holds approximately 4% market share in the SSP community, with Google at 60% [13] - Google faces potential regulatory changes that could benefit PubMatic [13][18] - Clients are moving away from Google due to perceived biases in its ad tech stack [16][18] Diversification Strategy - Focus on diversifying demand sources away from legacy DSPs [25] - Mid-tier DSPs are growing at 20% year-over-year, with significant opportunities outside the top 250 advertisers [26] - AI is being leveraged to optimize inventory and improve targeting [28][30] Supply Path Optimization (SPO) - SPO accounts for 55% of PubMatic's business, up from 35% a few years ago [42] - Data integration and targeting capabilities are key to driving revenue through SPO [43][44] Activate Product - Activate allows buyers to purchase directly within the SSP, increasing return on ad spend [60] - Expected to grow to over 15% of revenue over time [63] Financial Outlook - Anticipated revenue growth to reaccelerate to mid-teens to 20% year-over-year once current DSP issues are resolved [35] - Focus on higher-margin offerings and leveraging AI for operational efficiencies [72][75] Capital Expenditures and Buybacks - CapEx is expected to decrease, with a target of $15 million this year, half of what was invested three years ago [77] - Buybacks will continue but will be balanced with investments in innovation [79][80] Other Important Insights - The company is actively integrating AI across its operations to enhance efficiency and reduce costs [72] - The importance of data privacy regulations is shifting targeting capabilities towards the sell side of the ecosystem [47][48] - The competitive advantage lies in the ability to provide better targeting and performance metrics compared to traditional DSPs [50][51]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a revenue growth of 6% year over year, with underlying business revenue (excluding affected DSP and political advertising) growing 19% year over year [6][29] - Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20%, marking the 37th consecutive quarter of adjusted EBITDA profitability [6][34] - The company generated $14.9 million in net operating cash flows and $9.3 million in free cash flow during the second quarter [36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CTV revenue grew over 50% year over year, representing approximately 20% of total revenue [29][15] - Emerging revenue streams more than doubled year over year, accounting for 8% of total revenue [29] - Display revenue was flat year over year, a significant improvement from a 10% decline in Q1 [30] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - EMEA and APAC revenues grew 187%, while Americas revenue declined by 1% [32] - Ad spend from performance marketers and mid-tier DSPs grew over 20% year over year [12][32] - The top 10 ad verticals grew in the mid-single digits year over year, with health and fitness, technology, and travel each increasing over 20% [31] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on diversifying its DSP mix and accelerating investment on the buy side, particularly in CTV and emerging revenue streams [10][11] - The integration of AI across the tech stack is a priority to enhance campaign performance and operational efficiency [21][23] - The company anticipates significant market share expansion due to recent antitrust rulings affecting Google, estimating that a 1% market share shift could represent $50 to $75 million in net revenue [24][25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a recent headwind from a top DSP partner that shifted clients to a new platform, impacting revenue in July but stabilizing in August [38][45] - The company remains confident in its strategy to diversify demand and revenue streams, despite the challenges faced [25][41] - The outlook for Q3 is conservative, with expected revenue in the range of $61 to $66 million, factoring in the impact from the DSP changes [40] Other Important Information - The company has a healthy balance sheet with $117.6 million in cash and marketable securities and zero debt [36] - The company has repurchased $178.2 million worth of Class A common shares since February 2023 [36] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide details about the changes from the DSP? - Management explained that a top DSP shifted clients to a new platform that evaluates inventory differently, leading to a notable drop in spend in July, which has since stabilized in August [45][46] Question: How has the conversation with advertisers evolved with the rise of SPO? - Conversations have deepened around solving advertisers' challenges, particularly in transitioning away from cookies and focusing on performance-based solutions [53][54] Question: What is the company's view on the evolution of the industry regarding DSPs and SSPs? - The company believes the lines between DSPs and SSPs are blurring, with a shift towards end-to-end platforms driven by performance and transparency [58][60] Question: What is the current concentration of DSPs? - The top two DSPs represent about half of overall spending, with efforts ongoing to diversify the DSP mix [63]

Financial Performance - Revenue reached $71.1 million, a 6% year-over-year increase[8] - Adjusted EBITDA was $14.2 million, representing a 20% margin[8] - The company experienced a GAAP net loss of $(5.2) million[8] - Cash flow from operations amounted to $14.9 million[8] Growth Drivers - CTV revenue grew by over 50% year-over-year[22, 34] - Emerging revenues increased by over 100% year-over-year[31, 34] - Omnichannel video revenue increased 34% year-over-year[34] - Performance and mid-tier DSPs experienced a growth rate of over 20% year-over-year in Q2 2025[14] Operational Efficiency - Ad impressions processed increased by 28% year-over-year, reaching 78 trillion in Q2 2025, compared to 61 trillion in Q2 2024[37] - The cost of revenue increased to $27 million in Q2 2025 from $25 million in Q2 2024[37] Future Outlook - Q3 2025 revenue is projected to be between $61 million and $66 million, representing a year-over-year growth between -15% and -8%[52] - Q3 2025 adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $7 million and $10 million, with a margin of 11% to 15%[52]

Core Insights - Company reported strong second quarter results with revenue and adjusted EBITDA exceeding expectations [3][4] - Revenue from omnichannel video, including CTV, grew 34% year-over-year, representing 41% of total revenue [8][6] - CTV revenue specifically grew over 50% year-over-year [6][8] - Supply Path Optimization accounted for over 55% of total activity on the platform, up from 51% a year ago [12] - Company repurchased 3.5 million shares in Q2 2025, representing 7% of fully diluted shares [1][7] Financial Performance - Revenue for Q2 2025 was $71.1 million, a 6% increase from $67.3 million in Q2 2024 [7] - Adjusted EBITDA was $14.2 million, with a margin of 20%, compared to $21.1 million and a 31% margin in the same period of 2024 [7][31] - GAAP net loss was $(5.2) million, or $(0.11) per diluted share, compared to a net income of $2.0 million, or $0.04 per diluted share in Q2 2024 [7][31] - Non-GAAP net income was $2.5 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, down from $9.7 million, or $0.17 per diluted share in Q2 2024 [7][31] - Net cash provided by operating activities was $14.9 million, an increase from $11.9 million in Q2 2024 [7] Business Highlights - Company added a major top 5 U.S. streamer, increasing market penetration to 26 of the top 30 global streamers, or 87% [6] - Buying activity on Activate more than doubled sequentially in Q2 2025 compared to Q1 2025, with over 90% of campaigns meeting or exceeding client KPIs [12] - Diversified DSP mix showed over 20% year-over-year growth in ad spend from performance marketers and mid-tier DSPs [12] - Enhanced AI-powered capabilities launched to improve publisher monetization and campaign performance [10][12] Market Outlook - Company expects revenue for Q3 2025 to be between $61 million to $66 million, factoring in a reduction in ad spend from a top DSP buyer [17] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q3 2025 is projected to be in the range of $7 million to $10 million, representing approximately a 13% margin at the midpoint [17] - Continued focus on diversifying DSP mix and investing in high-growth areas, particularly CTV and AI integration [11][12]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported its 30th consecutive quarter of profitability at adjusted EBITDA, indicating strong financial health and consistent performance [18] - The company has significant free cash flow generation, which supports share repurchases and overall financial stability [18][92] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company has diversified its revenue streams, now delivering a unified AI-powered end-to-end platform that serves various customer segments, including streamers, publishers, media buyers, commerce media networks, and data partners [7][8] - Supply Path Optimization (SPO) has become a significant part of the business, accounting for over half of the revenue, up approximately 20 percentage points from two years ago [30][34] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company has over 80% penetration among the top 30 streaming companies globally, including major players like Roku and Amazon Fire TV [8][76] - The mix of business includes over 20% from Connected TV (CTV) and about 20% from mobile apps, with omnichannel video making up around 40% of the business [47][49] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company focuses on being well-positioned in the fastest-growing ad formats, including CTV, commerce media, and data curation [49][50] - The company aims to consolidate its market share by leveraging its independent and objective platform, especially in light of ongoing antitrust issues facing larger competitors like Google [15][62] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the ad market has shown resilience despite macroeconomic uncertainties, with strong performance observed in early 2023 [83][84] - The company is planning for various economic scenarios while focusing on AI as a significant growth driver and efficiency enhancer [86][88] Other Important Information - The company has increased its share repurchase authorization by an additional $100 million, reflecting confidence in its financial position and future growth prospects [92] - The company estimates that every percentage point of market share gained from Google could translate to $50 to $75 million in revenue, with a high flow-through to the bottom line due to existing publisher overlaps [62][63] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the company's outlook on the ad market amidst macroeconomic uncertainties? - Management indicated that the ad market has been more stable than expected, with strong performance trends continuing into the second quarter [83][84] Question: How does the company differentiate itself from competitors in the SSP space? - The company highlighted its independent platform and extensive publisher relationships, which allow it to offer unique value propositions that competitors may not provide [15][76] Question: What is the significance of Supply Path Optimization (SPO) for the company's growth? - SPO has become a key growth driver, accounting for over half of the business, and is expected to continue growing as advertisers seek efficiency and effectiveness [30][34] Question: How does the company view the impact of Google's antitrust issues on its market position? - Management believes that the antitrust case presents a significant opportunity for the company to gain market share, estimating potential revenue increases from share shifts [62][66]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company exceeded guidance in Q1 with a year-over-year revenue growth of 21%, up from 17% in the second half of the previous year, excluding the impact from a large DSP buyer and political advertising [5][27] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was $8.5 million, representing a 13% margin, marking the thirty-sixth consecutive quarter of adjusted EBITDA profitability [32][34] - The company reported a GAAP net loss of $9.5 million, or -$0.20 per diluted share [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Omnichannel video revenues grew 20% year-over-year, accounting for 40% of total revenues, driven by strong CTV revenues which increased over 50% year-over-year [28] - Emerging revenue streams more than doubled year-over-year, with the Connect business continuing its rapid growth trajectory [29] - Display revenue declined 10% year-over-year, but excluding the large DSP buyer, all other display revenues grew over 20% year-over-year [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ad spend for the top 10 ad verticals grew in the mid-single-digit percentages year-over-year, with health and fitness, food and drink, and style and fashion increasing over 10% [31] - The Americas and EMEA regions saw slight declines, while APAC grew over 8% year-over-year [32] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three guiding principles: anticipating shifts in advertising growth, closely managing costs, and aligning investments towards high-growth opportunities [11] - The company plans to leverage the anticipated shift from linear TV to streaming and expects increased spend consolidation as marketers seek greater efficiencies [12][14] - Investments in AI and generative AI are expected to drive growth and create efficiencies, with the launch of an end-to-end AI-powered platform [15][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in navigating the current macroeconomic uncertainty, believing that digital advertising will emerge stronger post-recession [10][36] - The company anticipates continued growth in the second half of the year, with expectations of 15% plus growth in underlying business [39][40] - Management noted that advertisers are not currently pulling back on ad spend, and trends indicate a shift towards programmatic advertising [64][70] Other Important Information - The board of directors expanded the share repurchase plan by an additional $100 million, reflecting confidence in the company's strategy and financial profile [26] - The company has generated nearly $350 million in net cash from operations over the last four years, with $15.6 million in net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter [35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on Google antitrust ruling and its impact - Management indicated that the DOJ is assessing potential remedies, and the ruling has created opportunities for the company to gain market share as advertisers seek alternatives to Google [44][46] Question: Future of Supply Path Optimization (SPO) - Management believes SPO could reach as high as 75% of the business in the long term, with significant growth opportunities from existing relationships and new advertisers [48][49] Question: Trends with key DSP partner - Management noted stability in volumes with the key DSP partner, with expectations for solid performance in the second half of the year as they lap the impact of the DSP change [52][53] Question: Macro environment and ad spend outlook - Management observed that advertisers are scenario planning but are not pulling back on ad spend, with expectations for continued growth in CTV and other high-engagement formats [63][70] Question: Future roadmap for driving ROAS - Management outlined three key drivers for improving ROAS: leveraging first-party data, enhancing supply chain efficiency, and building performance solutions [84][87] Question: Breakdown of growth expectations - Management clarified that the anticipated 15% plus growth excludes the impact from the large DSP buyer and political advertising, with expectations for strong momentum in the second half of the year [89][90]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company exceeded guidance in Q1 2025 on both revenue and adjusted EBITDA, with year-over-year revenue growth accelerating to 21%, up from 17% in the second half of the previous year [5][27] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was $8.5 million, representing a 13% margin, marking the thirty-sixth consecutive quarter of adjusted EBITDA profitability [31] - The company reported a GAAP net loss of $9.5 million, or -$0.20 per diluted share [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Omnichannel video revenues grew 20% year over year, accounting for 40% of total revenues, driven by strong CTV revenues which increased over 50% year over year [28] - Emerging revenue streams more than doubled year over year, with the curation and data business, Connect, continuing its rapid growth trajectory [28][22] - Display revenue declined 10% year over year, but excluding the impact of a large DSP buyer, all other display revenues grew over 20% year over year [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ad spend for the top 10 ad verticals grew in the mid-single-digit percentages year over year, with health and fitness, food and drink, and style and fashion increasing over 10% [30] - The Americas and EMEA regions saw slight declines, while APAC grew over 8% year over year [30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three guiding principles: anticipating advertising growth shifts, closely managing costs, and aligning investments towards high-growth opportunities [10] - The company plans to leverage the anticipated shift from linear TV to streaming and the increased reliance on programmatic advertising [11][12] - Investments in AI and generative AI are expected to drive growth and create efficiencies, with the launch of a GenAI powered end-to-end platform [14][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in navigating the current macroeconomic uncertainty, believing it creates opportunities for growth in digital advertising [9][36] - The company anticipates continued growth in the second half of the year, with expectations of 15% plus growth in underlying business [39] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining strong relationships with customers and adapting to changes in ad spend behavior [9][66] Other Important Information - The board of directors expanded the share repurchase plan by an additional $100 million, reflecting confidence in the company's strategy and financial profile [26] - The company has generated nearly $350 million in net cash from operations over the last four years, with $15.6 million in net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter [35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on Google antitrust ruling and its impact - Management noted that the DOJ is assessing potential remedies and that the ruling has created a more competitive environment, allowing for potential market share gains for the company [43][45] Question: Future of Supply Path Optimization (SPO) - Management believes SPO could reach as high as 75% of the business in the long term, with significant growth opportunities from existing relationships and new advertisers [47][48] Question: Trends with key DSP partner - Management indicated stability with the key DSP partner, with expectations for solid performance in the second half of the year as they lap the impact of changes made last year [51][52] Question: Macro environment and ad spend outlook - Management observed that advertisers are scenario planning but are not currently pulling back on ad spend, with expectations for continued growth in CTV and other high-engagement formats [61][66] Question: Future roadmap for curation and data products - Management outlined three key drivers for improving return on ad spend: leveraging first-party data, enhancing supply chain efficiency, and building performance solutions [80][82]

Core Insights - PubMatic has launched an upgraded buyer platform powered by generative AI, enhancing the media buying process from audience discovery to performance optimization [1][3] - The platform offers unique supply-path transparency and combines proprietary supply-side intelligence with AI-driven tools, addressing buyer demands for control and visibility [2][3] New Capabilities of the Upgraded Platform - AI-Driven Efficiency: Buyers can use natural language to describe campaign goals, leading to faster deal creation and optimized performance through built-in forecasting tools [4] - Unified Activation & Insights: The platform allows seamless activation of curated deals while providing real-time supply insights [4] - Omnichannel Scale: Access to premium inventory across various channels, enriched with audience data for better targeting [4] - Real-Time Optimization: Continuous monitoring of campaign performance with actionable insights to meet delivery goals [4] - Privacy-First Approach: Ensures compliance with privacy regulations while utilizing first-party data for targeted advertising [5] Industry Impact - The upgraded platform marks a significant evolution for PubMatic, transitioning from a traditional SSP to a comprehensive technology company in programmatic advertising [3] - Early adopters, such as GroupM, have reported significant improvements in campaign efficiency and ROI, indicating strong industry support for the new platform [5] - The platform also benefits publishers by maximizing yield and maintaining control over inventory quality, thus driving incremental revenue [5][6] Future Vision - PubMatic's buyer platform is positioned as a critical nexus for scaling partnerships and AI-driven innovation, enhancing collaboration across the advertising ecosystem [6] - The integration of real-time transaction data into deal workflows allows for precise targeting and measurement of business outcomes, representing the future of programmatic advertising [6]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth for 2024 was 9% over 2023, more than doubling the previous year's growth rate [10][45] - Adjusted EBITDA margins expanded to 32%, marking a return to the "Rule of 40" benchmark [11][46] - Q4 revenue, excluding a specific DSP impact and political advertising, increased by 16% year-over-year [12][39] - Full-year net income was $12.5 million, or $0.23 per diluted share [56] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CTV revenue more than doubled in 2024, representing 20% of total revenue in Q4 [45][52] - Mobile app business grew 16% year-over-year, also accounting for 20% of total revenue [45] - Emerging revenue streams doubled in 2024, with Connect, the curation and data business, growing 140% year-over-year [53][96] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Omni-channel video revenue reached over 40% in Q4, with half coming from CTV [20] - The company now works with 80% of the top 30 global streamers, up from 70% a quarter ago [21][103] - Political advertising contributed approximately 6% of total revenue in 2024 [68] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on high consumer engagement channels such as CTV, mobile app, and commerce media to drive growth [14][40] - Investments in product innovation and generative AI are expected to enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement [17][36] - The strategy includes diversifying revenue streams and increasing the value of ad impressions through data curation [34][95] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management anticipates a challenging first half of 2025 due to a DSP headwind but expects underlying business growth of 15%+ year-over-year [61][72] - The company is confident in its ability to execute its growth strategy and deliver healthy margins [72] - The shift towards sell-side targeting is seen as a significant opportunity, driven by the decline of third-party cookies [90][92] Other Important Information - The company ended 2024 with $141 million in cash and marketable securities and no debt [48][60] - A share repurchase program has resulted in an 8% reduction in fully diluted shares outstanding [48][60] - The company is targeting a full-year adjusted EBITDA margin in the high 20% range for 2025 [70] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about month-on-month trends and overall CPM trends? - Management noted that the softness in Q4 was primarily due to one DSP's bidding changes, while CPMs were positive throughout the year [76][78] Question: Why is the impact limited to display, and is there a need to address the relationship with the DSP? - The impact is due to a structural change in the DSP's bidding approach, which has historically affected display formats [84][86] Question: What are the secular shifts in the industry driving the data opportunity? - The industry is shifting towards sell-side targeting due to the decline of cookies and the strength of first-party data [90][92] Question: Can you discuss the success and growth of Activate? - Activate has seen 6x growth year-over-year, simplifying the digital advertising supply chain and driving performance [112][114] Question: What is the outlook for CTV and its evolution? - CTV is transitioning towards programmatic buying, with significant opportunities in auction packages and managing yield for publishers [134][136]