Independent Agencies Gain Advanced Agentic Media Buying Through New PubMatic and Untapped Growth Collective Partnership Mar 25, 2026 9:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time Independent Agencies Gain Advanced Agentic Media Buying Through New PubMatic and Untapped Growth Collective Partnership Share Small and Independent agencies can now activate custom buyer agents within AgenticOS – providing full access to data curation, premium inventory at scale, and GPU-supported infrastructure delivering more efficient and effec ...

PubMatic Inc. (NASDAQ:PUBM) is one of the best AI stocks with huge upside potential. On March 12, PubMatic and Optable partnered to integrate privacy-safe, first-party audience data into automated media buying workflows via PubMatic’s AgenticOS. This collaboration allows Optable’s ‘Audience Agent’ to work within PubMatic’s AI-driven infrastructure, enabling advertisers to discover and activate high-value audience signals from premium publishers autonomously. By using agent-to-agent communication, the par ...

This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Ad-tech firm PubMatic and marketing agency Butler/Till ran a fully autonomous, end-to-end agentic campaign on behalf of the Geloso Beverage Group that reduced buy-side supply chain costs by 5.5x, according to press materials shared with Marketing Dive. The campaign, which ran in December 2025, was an industry-first in that it was planned and impl ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a strong fourth quarter with revenue and adjusted EBITDA exceeding guidance, achieving an adjusted EBITDA margin of 35% [6][23] - For the full year, revenue from Connected TV (CTV) grew over 50% year-over-year, while emerging revenues nearly doubled, now representing nearly 10% of total revenues [7][24] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $27.8 million, with GAAP net income of $6.7 million or $0.14 per diluted share [31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CTV, mobile app, and emerging revenues were the main growth drivers, with emerging revenues growing over 75% year-over-year in Q4 [23][27] - The mobile app business delivered over 25% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4, reflecting strategic partnerships and product innovation [26] - Display revenues returned to growth in the mid-single digits, with a notable 20% growth excluding legacy DSP revenues [28] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas experienced an 18% decline in revenue, primarily due to political advertising spend reductions, while APAC and EMEA grew over 25% and 15% respectively [29] - The top 10 ad verticals grew nearly 10% year-over-year, with strong growth in shopping, health and fitness, and technology sectors [28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a five-year roadmap aimed at re-accelerating growth, expanding margins, and enhancing shareholder value, with a strong emphasis on AI-driven solutions [8][21] - The introduction of Agentic AI is seen as a transformative opportunity, with expectations that 25% of digital advertising will be executed autonomously by 2028, increasing to 50% by 2030 [11][12] - The company is diversifying its buyer mix and has integrated with 50 new DSP partners, focusing on mid-market advertisers [15][80] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to capture growth opportunities in the evolving digital advertising landscape, particularly through AI [21][37] - The company anticipates returning to double-digit revenue growth in the second half of 2026, supported by disciplined investments and increased efficiencies from AI [35][36] - The balance sheet remains strong, with $145.5 million in cash and no debt, allowing for flexibility in investments and capital returns [32][37] Other Important Information - The company has made significant progress in AI adoption, with over 40% of new code written by AI in the second half of 2025, enhancing productivity [20] - The company has a disciplined capital allocation strategy, focusing on long-term shareholder value creation and returning capital through share repurchase programs [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: Role of Amazon in the ad tech chain - The company collaborates with Amazon as one of three SSPs in their Certified Supply Exchange program, monetizing streaming inventory and expanding ad demand [45][46] Question: Structural assets differentiating PubMatic - The company highlighted its deep customer integrations, proprietary infrastructure, and the ability to innovate rapidly without dependence on third parties as key differentiators [52][54] Question: Outlook on agentic advertising and its impact - Management believes agentic advertising will streamline the industry, potentially reducing fees and bringing the supply and buy sides closer together [61][62] Question: Drivers of upside in Q4 - Key growth areas included emerging revenues, mobile app, and CTV, all of which exceeded expectations [73][74] Question: DSP diversification strategy - The company is focused on expanding its DSP mix to control more of its revenue sources and reduce reliance on a few large providers [79][81]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported exceptionally strong fourth-quarter results with revenue and adjusted EBITDA exceeding guidance, achieving an adjusted EBITDA margin of 35% [21][29] - For the full year, revenue from the remainder of the business (excluding political revenues and legacy DSP) grew 18% year-over-year, representing 83% of total revenue in Q4 [21][29] - Free cash flow increased by 32% compared to 2024, reaching $46 million, while net operating cash flows rose by 10% to $81 million [29][30] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Connected TV (CTV) revenue grew over 50% year-over-year, while emerging revenues, including Activate and new AI solutions, nearly doubled and now account for nearly 10% of total revenues [5][24] - Mobile app revenue delivered over 25% year-over-year growth, reflecting ongoing product innovation and strategic partnerships [24] - Display revenues returned to mid-single-digit year-over-year growth, with a notable 20% increase when excluding the legacy DSP [25] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas experienced an 18% decline in revenue primarily due to political advertising, while APAC and EMEA markets grew over 25% and 15% respectively [27] - The top 10 ad verticals grew nearly 10% year-over-year, with strong growth in shopping, health and fitness, and technology sectors [25] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a five-year roadmap aimed at re-accelerating growth, expanding margins, and enhancing shareholder value, with a strong emphasis on AI-driven solutions [6][19] - The introduction of Agentic AI is seen as a significant opportunity, with expectations that by 2028, 25% of digital advertising will be executed autonomously via Agentic AI [9][10] - The company aims to diversify its buyer mix by integrating with 50 new DSP partners, targeting mid-market advertisers as a fast-growing segment [14][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to capture growth opportunities in the evolving digital advertising landscape, particularly through AI adoption [20][34] - The company anticipates returning to double-digit revenue growth in the second half of 2026, supported by disciplined investments and increased efficiencies from AI [32][35] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong balance sheet, with $145.5 million in cash and no debt, allowing for flexibility in investments and capital returns [30][35] Other Important Information - The company has made significant progress in operational efficiency through AI, with over 40% of new code written by AI in the second half of 2025 [18] - The company has a disciplined capital allocation strategy, focusing on long-term shareholder value creation and returning capital through a share repurchase program [30] Q&A Session Summary Question: Role of Amazon in the ad tech chain - The company collaborates with Amazon as one of three SSPs in their Certified Supply Exchange program, monetizing streaming inventory and expanding ad demand [41][42] Question: Structural assets differentiating PubMatic - The company highlighted its deep customer integrations, proprietary infrastructure, and the ability to innovate rapidly without dependence on third parties as key differentiators [48][50] Question: Outlook on agentic AI and its impact - Management believes agentic AI will streamline the advertising ecosystem, potentially reducing fees and bringing the supply and demand sides closer together [59][60] Question: Drivers of upside in Q4 - Key growth areas included emerging revenues, mobile app, and CTV, all of which exceeded expectations [71][72] Question: DSP diversification strategy - The company emphasized the importance of diversifying its DSP partnerships to control its growth trajectory and reduce reliance on a few large providers [76][80]

Q4 and FY 2025 Earnings Presentation This presentation contains statistical data, estimates and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications or other publicly available information, as well as other information based on our internal sources. This information involves many assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in these industry publications and other ...

Core Insights - The Trade Desk, Inc. has launched OpenAds, a new auction environment aimed at providing publishers and sellers with a transparent and high-integrity alternative for programmatic advertising, supported by major publishing partners [1][9] Group 1: OpenAds Initiative - OpenAds is designed to enhance transparency, visibility, and signal in programmatic advertising, addressing advertiser concerns by delivering a cleaner auction framework [2] - The initiative reflects a shift towards cleaner auction mechanics, enabling advertisers to better understand their purchases and audience reach [3] - Key elements of OpenAds will be open-sourced, allowing for industry review and participation from other buyers and DSPs [4] Group 2: Complementary Tools - OpenAds complements Trade Desk's existing initiatives like OpenPath and PubDesk, which aim to improve efficiency and trust between buyers and sellers [5] - These tools are focused on aligning incentives around quality rather than volume, enhancing the overall media supply chain dynamics [5] Group 3: Future Development - The company anticipates that OpenAds will continue to develop actively and expand through 2026, with plans for additional publisher integrations [6] - Management believes that a healthier auction environment will improve outcomes for both advertisers and publishers, reinforcing the competitiveness of the open Internet [6] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Amazon's advertising business is rapidly expanding, leveraging consumer data and partnerships to enhance its advertising reach, including collaborations with platforms like Netflix and Spotify [7] - PubMatic has launched AgenticOS, an AI-powered system for programmatic advertising, and is focusing on diversifying its DSP mix to reduce reliance on legacy buyers [8][10]