Topsort
Topsort provides AI-powered auction infrastructure, ad-server APIs, and retail media monetization software to marketplaces, retailers, delivery apps, travel platforms, and classifieds across 40+ countries, processing 100B+ auctions monthly via a commerce-native platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Topsort does
Topsort is a Palo Alto-headquartered, venture-backed infrastructure company founded in 2021 that provides AI-powered auction tools, ad-server APIs, and commerce monetization infrastructure to retailers, marketplaces, delivery apps, travel platforms, financial platforms, and classifieds. Its commerce-native platform consolidates what is typically a fragmented stack — ad serving, real-time auctions, sponsored listings, display, native, video, offsite activation, in-store media, analytics, and attribution — into a single API-first layer that runs 100B+ auctions per month across 9 global edge regions with sub-5ms p99 latency and 99.999% uptime, eliminating reliance on third-party cookies and publisher-style ad servers.
The product suite spans T-Platform (full retail media OS), T-Engine (intelligent auction/ranking engine), T-Brain (proprietary Large Commerce Model powering personalization and decisioning), T-Zero (programmable ad server API for fast launches), Toptimize (AI optimization layer), Data Genie (analytics), Tomi (AI ad-ops agent), Toppie DSP and Private Toppie (demand-side layer), Offsite Ads, and In-Store Journey. Underlying technology includes the BIDLESS™ autobidding method, multimodal AI (text, structured data, image, video), and integrations with TikTok, Google Ad Manager, Moloco, Skai, GroupBy, Algolia, VTEX, and Segment.
Topsort monetizes through a mix of enterprise subscriptions (T-Platform), usage-based API consumption (T-Zero, T-Engine, T-Brain), auction-based take-rates (Toppie DSP, sponsored listings with CPC/CPM/CPA bidding models), self-serve advertiser workflow fees, white-label deployments (Private Toppie), and professional services for migrations from legacy ad servers like Google Ad Manager and Kevel. Its 120+ employees serve 100+ retail media networks across 40+ countries with named enterprise customers including DoorDash, Coles, Poshmark, Falabella, Cencosud, Magalu, HEB, Weee!, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, BEES/AB InBev, and Despegar, backed by $28.6M+ in disclosed funding (Series A led by Upload Ventures at a $150M valuation) plus undisclosed strategic investments from Moloco and W23 Global.
Topsort firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Topsort
- Legal name
- Topsort
- Website
- https://topsort.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Topsort provides AI-powered auction infrastructure, ad-server APIs, and retail media monetization software to marketplaces, retailers, delivery apps, travel platforms, and classifieds across 40+ countries, processing 100B+ auctions monthly via a commerce-native platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Topsort industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Media / Adtech Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marketplace APIs & API Monetization Platforms (BPAMAOAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Edge Compute & Edge Caching Platforms (MPAHAIAC), Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where Topsort is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Topsort business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Platform Subscription (T-Platform): Enterprise subscription to the full retail media platform (T-Platform) combining ad serving, real-time auctions, advertiser workflows, analytics, attribution, APIs, and AI optimization. Recurring platform licensing model.
- API-based Ad Serving (T-Zero / T-Engine): Usage-based consumption pricing tied to API call volume and auction throughput. Modular per-component pricing (T-Zero ad server API, T-Engine auctions, T-Brain intelligence layer).
- Auction-based Ad Monetization / Toppie DSP: Revenue share or take-rate on auction-based ad spend flowing through Toppie (sponsored listing exchange) and Toppie DSP across retailer networks. Auctions priced via CPC/CPM/CPA bidding models.
- Self-Serve Advertiser Workflows: Advertisers self-serve campaign management fees with CPC, CPM, CPA bidding models configurable per campaign. White-label advertiser portals for retailers/marketplaces.
- Professional Services & Migration: Migration services from legacy ad servers (Google Ad Manager, Kevel), zero-downtime onboarding, solutions engineering, and customized integration work for enterprise retail media deployments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based / Not publicly disclosed |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Auction-based pricing with CPC, CPM, CPA bidding models |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free sandbox / Free API tier for developers |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Topsort product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Topsort provides an API-first, AI-powered retail media monetization infrastructure that lets marketplaces, retailers, delivery apps, travel platforms, and commerce networks launch and scale ad businesses. The platform unifies ad serving, real-time auctions, sponsored listings, display, native, offsite, in-store, attribution, and AI optimization behind modular APIs (T-Platform, T-Engine, T-Brain, T-Zero, Toptimize, Data Genie, Tomi, Toppie DSP) without relying on third-party cookies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- T-Platform: The operating system for modern retail media — a complete infrastructure layer for ad serving, real-time auctions, advertiser workflows, analytics, APIs, and AI-powered optimization.
- T-Engine
- T-Brain
- T-Zero
- Toptimize
- Toppie DSP
- Tomi
- Data Genie
Products and services
- T-Platform (Retail Media Platform) Complete retail media infrastructure layer for enterprises to launch, operate, and scale a retail media business across onsite, offsite, and in-store channels.
- T-Engine (Intelligent Ad Engine) High-performance auction and ranking engine for large-scale commerce media, providing real-time decisioning, pacing, relevance scoring, and attribution.
- T-Brain (Large Commerce Model) AI foundation layer for commerce that personalizes results, improves ranking, and powers recommendations, ads, and campaign decisioning.
- T-Zero (Ad Server API) Lightweight, programmatic Ad Server API for launching sponsored listings and display ads quickly, available via free sandbox with no credit card and live in under 30 days.
- Toptimize (AI Optimization Layer) ML optimization layer that improves yield, pacing, ROAS, and relevance on top of an existing ad stack such as Google Ad Manager or Kevel.
- Data Genie (Retail Media Analytics) Retail media intelligence and analytics layer unifying reporting, benchmarking, insights, and a data warehouse across ad server sources.
- Tomi (AI Ad Ops Agent) Conversational AI agent that launches and manages retail media campaigns, builds media plans, and forecasts revenue and ROAS live.
- Toppie DSP (Retail Media DSP) Unified demand-side platform for brands and agencies to buy retail media inventory across multiple retailers with commerce-native signals and closed-loop measurement.
- Private Toppie (Private-label DSP) Private-label, white-label DSP for retailers and commerce networks to deploy their own demand-side buying layer.
- Offsite Ads Extends retail media demand beyond owned inventory into external channels and partner networks (Meta, Google, TikTok, Pinterest, programmatic).
- In-Store Journey Connects physical retail screens and shopper signals to retail media campaigns with computer vision attribution to POS transactions.
- Audience Builder Self-serve audience management tool embedded within Topsort retail media infrastructure that enables retail media teams to create, refine, and activate audience segments without engineering support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.8x ROAS lift for Weee! top campaigns
- +16 more outcomes
Companies that use Topsort
Customer profileNamed customers31 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Topsort technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration18 records
AI capability5 records
Feature13 records
Topsort partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship - south america's largest retailer partnering with topsort for fmedia scaling, flagship channel integration - offsite ads, strategic demand mediation integration, strategic - acquisition enabling uk market entry and major retailer relationships (tesco, marks & spencer), major european luxury retail partnership, strategic - global retail media access partnership, strategic - full-stack platform deployment for major australian grocer, flagship latam travel partnership - pioneered sponsored listings in travel, flagship - unique retail media ad exchange partnership announced at shoptalk spring 2025, core technology integration, integration partner - search and ads, strategic - ml engine partner and investor, strategic latam integration partner, integration partner, flagship cpg retailer/distributor partnership, flagship latam pharmacy partnership, flagship new zealand marketplace partnership, event co-marketing partner - cannes lions 2026 and in-store media integration partner.
- Falabellaflagship - south america's largest retailer partnering with topsort for fmedia scalingFalabella (South America's largest retailer) selected Topsort as strategic partner to scale its retail media offering through Fmedia following a successful proof of concept that improved advertising metrics. The collaboration scales Fmedia's retail media operations across Falabella's ecosystem using Topsort's auction-based, AI-powered platform.
- TikTokflagship channel integration - offsite adsLaunched TikTok Offsite Ads enabling marketplaces to run TikTok advertising campaigns directly from Topsort's platform, extending commerce media beyond onsite placements into short-form video and social feeds.
- Google Ad Managerstrategic demand mediation integrationIntegration with Google Ad Manager to enhance retail media revenue capabilities, enabling retailers to access additional advertiser demand and optimize monetization. Improves yield, operational efficiency, and resilient monetization strategy for enterprise marketplaces.
- Phuzion Mediastrategic - acquisition enabling uk market entry and major retailer relationships (tesco, marks & spencer)UK-based offsite retail media measurement firm acquired by Topsort in October 2025 to enter the UK retail media market. Phuzion's cofounder Stefano Biondi appointed as UK General Manager. Provides established retailer relationships and offline retail media measurement expertise.
- E. Breuninger GmbH & Co.major european luxury retail partnershipPartnership to enhance luxury retail media in Europe by integrating Topsort's AI-based auction technology into Breuninger's platform. Aims to improve advertising capabilities while ensuring brand safety and an exceptional shopping experience.
- Skaistrategic - global retail media access partnershipPartnership to enhance access to hard-to-reach retail media markets through a unified platform, allowing advertisers to tap into a wide range of retail media networks and streamline marketing efforts across global commerce.
- Coles (Coles 360)strategic - full-stack platform deployment for major australian grocerPartnership to enhance Coles 360's digital retail media operations by implementing an AI-based, outcome-focused advertising platform. Aims to streamline ad delivery and improve efficiency for brand partners across the Coles Group ecosystem.
- Despegarflagship latam travel partnership - pioneered sponsored listings in travelLatin America's leading travel agency partnered with Topsort to launch an innovative Sponsored Products feature, allowing advertisers to engage 30M+ travelers through AI-driven sponsored listings in search results. Positions Despegar as pioneer in Latam travel sector.
- DoorDashflagship - unique retail media ad exchange partnership announced at shoptalk spring 2025Partnership to launch unique retail media ad exchange announced at Shoptalk Spring 2025. DoorDash adds Sponsored Ads and expands retail media net with Topsort's auction infrastructure.
- GroupBycore technology integrationStrategic integration with GroupBy to enhance sponsored product displays for retailers, enabling revenue growth through AI-driven solutions that optimize product visibility and streamline retail media operations.
- Algoliaintegration partner - search and adsTopsort integrates with Algolia to unify search and advertising for retailers, enabling sponsored listings within search results.
- Molocostrategic - ml engine partner and investorMoloco made a strategic investment in Topsort and became the machine learning engine that powers Topsort's retail media infrastructure. Combines Moloco's ML capabilities with Topsort's auction-based algorithms to improve ad personalization and customer experiences.
- VTEXstrategic latam integration partnerTopsort and VTEX integrate to empower Latin American retailers and marketplaces with accessible, scalable retail media solutions.
- Segment (CDP)integration partnerCustomers can seamlessly integrate with Segment (CDP Platform) for unified customer data infrastructure.
- BEES (AB InBev)flagship cpg retailer/distributor partnershipBEES (AB InBev's B2B platform) launched BEES Ads powered by Topsort to monetize its retailer network.
- RD Saúdeflagship latam pharmacy partnershipBrazil's largest pharmacy network RD Saúde partnered with Topsort to launch a transformative retail media program across its digital channels.
- Trade Meflagship new zealand marketplace partnershipNew Zealand's largest marketplace Trade Me partnered with Topsort to launch retail media, helping sellers reach more buyers.
- boostrevent co-marketing partner - cannes lions 2026Partnered with boostr for the Topsort VIP Lunch and hospitality events during Cannes Lions 2026 (June 22-26).
- Broadsignin-store media integration partnerDigital signage integration partner for Topsort's In-Store Journey retail media offering.
- Advertimain-store media integration partnerDigital signage integration partner for Topsort's In-Store Journey retail media offering.
- Stratacachein-store media integration partnerDigital signage integration partner for Topsort's In-Store Journey retail media offering.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Topsort competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kevel: Retail media and marketplace ad server offering API-first ad serving, auction infrastructure, and sponsored listings. Topsort explicitly compares itself against Kevel in its content marketing and Kevel is a connected source in Topsort's Data Genie analytics layer.
- Criteo: Commerce media platform powering retailer monetization with sponsored products, display, and offsite retargeting. Operates at comparable scale to Topsort and is a connected data source in Data Genie, representing both a partner and competitor for retailer mindshare.
- CitrusAd: Retail media platform serving grocers and large retailers with sponsored products and on-site monetization. Headquartered in Europe with deep grocery vertical penetration, positioning as a comparable commerce-native ad server alternative to Topsort.
- Zitcha: Retail media platform focused on enabling retailers to launch and scale onsite and offsite media businesses. Targets the same marketplace and retailer segment as Topsort with sponsored listings and audience monetization.
Broad incumbents
- Roundel (Target): Target-owned retail media network offering offsite and onsite media for brands. Represents the in-house retail media model that Topsort's API-first infrastructure is positioned to replace or augment for retailers lacking the scale to build their own.
- Google Ad Manager: Dominant publisher ad server used by many retailers as legacy infrastructure before migrating to commerce-native stacks. Topsort actively migrates customers off GAM while also integrating GAM as a demand source and Data Genie feed.
Emerging players
- Moloco: ML infrastructure and retail media monetization platform that is both a strategic investor in Topsort and a potential competitor in commerce media. Moloco powers Topsort's ML layer while also operating its own retail media DSP.
- Skai: Omnichannel marketing platform with a retail media activation layer that partners with Topsort to provide unified access to retail media networks. Overlaps with Toppie DSP and Topsort's advertiser workflows on the demand side.
- GroupBy: E-commerce search and product discovery platform with sponsored product placements. Strategic technology integration partner of Topsort; competes on the sponsored listings surface within retailer search experiences.
- Pentaleap: Retail media infrastructure startup offering white-label ad serving for retailers and marketplaces. Topsort publishes direct comparison content positioning against Pentaleap, indicating overlapping ICP and product positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Topsort social profiles
Digital presenceTopsort financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Topsort leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Topsort subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Topsort funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Topsort M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Topsort
What does Topsort do?
Topsort provides an API-first, AI-powered retail media monetization infrastructure that lets marketplaces, retailers, delivery apps, travel platforms, and commerce networks launch and scale ad businesses. The platform unifies ad serving, real-time auctions, sponsored listings, display, native, offsite, in-store, attribution, and AI optimization behind modular APIs (T-Platform, T-Engine, T-Brain, T-Zero, Toptimize, Data Genie, Tomi, Toppie DSP) without relying on third-party cookies.
Is Topsort a public or private company?
Topsort is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Topsort founded?
Topsort was founded in 2021. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Topsort based?
Topsort is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Topsort make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Platform Subscription (T-Platform) is the primary driver. The others are API-based Ad Serving (T-Zero / T-Engine), auction-based Ad Monetization / Toppie DSP, self-Serve Advertiser Workflows and professional Services & Migration.
Who are Topsort's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kevel, Criteo, CitrusAd and Zitcha. Broad incumbents are Roundel (Target) and Google Ad Manager. Emerging players are Moloco, Skai, GroupBy and Pentaleap.
Does Topsort have an API?
Yes. Public/partner-facing API for ad serving, auction management, and retail media integration. Includes the T-Zero Ad Server API for building custom ad serving and auction integrations, the Topsort MCP Server (Model Context Protocol) for AI tool integration, and a TypeScript SDK. Developer portal available at docs.topsort.com. Developer documentation is at docs.topsort.com.
What industry is Topsort in?
Topsort's product category is Retail Media / Adtech Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAOAM, Marketplace APIs & API Monetization Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAHAIAC, Edge Compute & Edge Caching Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7311.