The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is an independent, cloud-based demand-side platform that enables advertisers and agencies to plan, buy, and measure programmatic media across CTV, audio, display, video, mobile, and digital out-of-home via its AI-powered Kokai platform, serving enterprise brands, holding companies, retailers, and publishers across 24 markets globally.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersVentura, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What The Trade Desk does
The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) is an independent, cloud-based demand-side platform (DSP) founded in 2009 by Jeff Green and headquartered in Ventura, California, that enables advertisers and agencies to plan, activate, and measure programmatic media buying across display, video, connected TV (CTV), audio, digital out-of-home, mobile, and native channels. The company's core product is the Kokai platform, an AI-powered buying interface underpinned by the proprietary Koa engine, which processes up to 15 million ad opportunities per second and powers Koa Audiences, Koa Optimizations, Koa Agents (agentic AI built on Anthropic's Claude via the Open Agentic Kit), and Performance Mode for outcome-driven optimization. The technology stack is augmented by an identity layer (UID2 and EUID, open-source frameworks administered by TTD), the Galileo first-party data onboarding tool, the OpenPath direct supply path, the OpenTTD developer platform, the OpenSincera transparency dataset covering 300,000+ publishers, and Identity Alliance for cross-device resolution.
The Trade Desk generates revenue primarily through a take rate on programmatic advertising spend transacted through the DSP, supplemented by a self-serve Kokai subscription for retail media, managed services for retailer partners (e.g., Dollar General), and enterprise/agency services delivered through Joint Business Plans and direct contracts. The company reports Q1 2026 revenue of $688.9M (up 12% YoY) with Q2 2026 guidance of at least $750M and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $260M; FY2025 revenue was approximately $2.9B. The company sells to brand advertisers (Audi, PepsiCo, Hennessy, Bayer, Old Navy, Best Western, Tripadvisor, Suzuki, General Mills), holding-company and independent agencies (Publicis, Omnicom, WPP, Dentsu, Stagwell, MINT Square/AMI), retail media networks (Walmart, Dollar General, CVS, Instacart), publishers and inventory suppliers (Spotify, Roku, Samsung Ads, NBCU, News Corp), and travel/hospitality media partners (Booking Holdings, Marriott Media, Uber Advertising, United Airlines' Kinective Media). Operations span 24 markets across 35+ global offices, with international revenue rising to 18% of total (from 13% a year earlier); the company has maintained customer retention above 95% for more than a decade and held more than $1.4B in cash with no debt as of late May 2026.
The Trade Desk firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Trade Desk
- Legal name
- The Trade Desk, Inc.
- Website
- https://thetradedesk.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The Trade Desk is an independent, cloud-based demand-side platform that enables advertisers and agencies to plan, buy, and measure programmatic media across CTV, audio, display, video, mobile, and digital out-of-home via its AI-powered Kokai platform, serving enterprise brands, holding companies, retailers, and publishers across 24 markets globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Trade Desk industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Programmatic Advertising (Demand-Side Platform)
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Advertising Agencies (541810), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ad Insertion & Monetization (SCTE-35, DAI/SSAI) (MPAHAKAH)
Keywords
Where The Trade Desk is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ventura
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices34 records
Markets served
The Trade Desk business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Programmatic media buying take rate: Core revenue stream earned as a take rate on advertising spend transacted through the DSP; analyst at Rothschild Redburn estimated take rates of roughly 20% in 2026, applied to billions of dollars in annual ad spend flowing through the platform.
- Kokai self-serve subscription: Self-serve subscription model introduced for the Kokai platform targeting retailers and advertisers managing fragmented retail media networks.
- Managed services for retail media: Managed service campaign offering integrated with retail media networks (e.g., Dollar General DG Media Network) for clients requiring hands-on activation support.
- Enterprise / agency programmatic services: Revenue from large advertising agencies and brands transacting via Joint Business Plans and direct enterprise contracts, including strategic relationships with holding companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quote-based pricing on programmatic ad spend |
| Subscription | Annual | Kokai self-serve subscription for retail media |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
The Trade Desk product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Trade Desk operates Kokai, a cloud-based independent demand-side platform (DSP) that enables advertisers and agencies to plan, activate, and measure programmatic media buying across omnichannel inventory including connected TV (CTV), audio, digital out-of-home, display, mobile, native, and video. The platform is enhanced by the Koa AI engine, the UID2/EUID open-source identity frameworks, OpenPath direct supply path, Galileo first-party data onboarding, and OpenTTD developer integrations. The Trade Desk earns revenue primarily through a take rate on programmatic ad spend transacted through the platform, plus subscription and managed service offerings for retail media.
Product overview
The Trade Desk operates a platform-plus-modules architecture anchored by Kokai, its core AI-powered demand-side platform (DSP) for programmatic media buying. Built around Kokai is a portfolio of named products: Koa (the proprietary AI engine powering forecasting, optimization, and recommendations within Kokai), Koa Agents (agentic AI powered by Anthropic's Claude via the Open Agentic Kit), Galileo (first-party data onboarding), UID2 and EUID (open-source identity frameworks for cookieless addressability), OpenPath (direct supply-path optimization), OpenPass (email-based SSO), OpenSincera (publisher-side transparency data), OpenTTD (developer platform and APIs), Identity Alliance (cross-device graph), Deal Desk (private marketplace deals), Audience Unlimited (third-party data marketplace), Performance Mode (AI optimization mode), and Ventura OS (a TV operating system enabling programmatic CTV access). Together these modules combine a unified media-buying platform with identity, data, supply-path, developer, and education offerings, all described as integrated, objective, and AI-driven solutions for advertisers and agencies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kokai: The Trade Desk's AI-powered media buying platform / demand-side platform interface. Launched in 2023.
- Koa
- Unified ID 2.0 (UID2)
- EUID
- OpenPath
- OpenTTD
- OpenPass
- OpenSincera
- Galileo
- Ventura OS
- The Current
- Edge Academy
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 95% customer retention for over a decade
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use The Trade Desk
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Trade Desk technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration21 records
AI capability14 records
Feature11 records
The Trade Desk partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- DatabrickscoreThe Trade Desk is one of 20 partner applications available at launch on Databricks Marketplace (Apps on Databricks Marketplace public preview), enabling customers to discover, install, and run Trade Desk applications directly within their secure Databricks workspaces without moving sensitive data to external vendor infrastructure.
- Publicis GroupeflagshipPublicis and The Trade Desk reaffirmed shared commitment to advertiser outcomes after settling a months-long billing/audit dispute. Publicis resumed recommending The Trade Desk platform to its clients after halting recommendations in March 2026. Approximately 25% of Publicis spend is fully agency-controlled and roughly 75% is under joint business plans.
- Acxiom (Omnicom)coreAcxiom's Geo-Based audience segments went live on The Trade Desk's data marketplace in the UK and Germany, extending an existing relationship by introducing a new product category under Trade Desk's Audience Unlimited initiative.
- Snapchat (Gold Partner at Pitch CMO Summit Delhi)minorCo-presented the Pitch CMO Summit in Delhi on June 5, 2026, alongside Snap Inc. and Mediakart. The Trade Desk served as Gold Partner alongside ShareChat & Moj and Vertoz.
- Booking Holdings (Booking.com, Agoda, KAYAK, Priceline)flagshipTravel media partnership announced June 2026 enabling advertisers to activate high-intent Booking.com, Agoda, KAYAK, and Priceline traveler signals across the open internet. Includes a separate AI assistant integration (Penny) at Priceline and is paired with Booking's enhanced travel advertising partnership announced June 24, 2026.
- Marriott Media (Riot Media)flagshipTravel and hospitality media integration with Marriott's Riot Media. Riot Media is transitioning from managed service to self-serve campaigns on The Trade Desk's DSP, enabling advertisers to reconcile impressions across the open web and connect audience segments more effectively.
- Uber AdvertisingflagshipTravel/mobility media integration enabling advertisers to access Uber Advertising's high-intent travel and mobility signals across the open internet as part of Trade Desk's expanded commerce media ecosystem.
- Kinective Media by United AirlinesflagshipTravel media integration with United Airlines' Kinective Media as part of the trade and hospitality media network. Kinective Media is also listed as a measurement partner in Trade Desk's measurement marketplace.
- Samsung AdscoreSamsung Ads integrated with The Trade Desk (and Google's Display & Video 360) to enable advertisers to programmatically buy home screen ad placements on Samsung Smart TVs for the first time. Programmatic access begins rolling out globally in Q3 with additional platform partnerships to be announced. Powered by Magnite's SpringServe technology.
- UtiqcoreBrussels-based ad-tech company backed by four European telecom operators; Utiq's network-layer telco identifiers were integrated into The Trade Desk's Kokai platform across EMEA, complementing existing email-hash identifiers like EUID and UID2. Coverage: 70 million consented users across Germany, Austria, France, Spain, the UK and Italy.
- HightouchcoreHightouch launched a direct identity-matching tool piloting exclusively with The Trade Desk to enable advertisers to connect Trade Desk's anonymized ad exposure data with their own first-party customer records, bypassing third-party identity providers like cookies, device IDs, or UID2.
- Pacvue (Agentic Commerce Grid)corePacvue launched Pacvue Prism, expanding existing integrations with ChatGPT and The Trade Desk while adding new integrations with Pinterest, tvScientific, Firework, Shopsense AI, and Yahoo DSP to create the Agentic Commerce Grid.
- Dollar GeneralflagshipDollar General, Kevel, and The Trade Desk partnered to launch a unified retail media solution combining onsite and offsite activation with consistent measurement across channels. Managed service campaign testing began in June 2026 with full integration expected in Q3 2026. The Trade Desk sells onsite retail media ads for Dollar General — its second foray into onsite advertising.
- KevelcoreKevel provides the API-based retail media infrastructure backbone that unifies Dollar General's onsite inventory with The Trade Desk's offsite activation across the open internet.
- LinkedInflagshipLinkedIn became The Trade Desk's first DSP partner for B2B data in connected TV, enabling B2B audience targeting and activation in CTV campaigns.
- MINT Square and AMI (Alliance of Media Independents)coreMINT Square partnered with AMI, the UK's largest collective of independent media agencies, to provide direct access to The Trade Desk's DSP with exclusive pricing and support services for smaller independent agencies. Includes technical onboarding, strategic consultancy, and ongoing operational support.
- Pacvue and SkaiflagshipThe Trade Desk made its DSP available within Pacvue and Skai platforms, allowing mutual clients to integrate its open web programmatic capabilities alongside commerce ad tech platforms that manage search, social, and retail media campaigns. Integration spans 250+ commerce media partners and is expected to be available to mutual clients in Q3 2026.
- Stagwell (STGW)flagshipStagwell partnered with The Trade Desk to embed AI agents built with TTD's Koa software into its ad tech stack for agentic media buying. AI agents accelerate campaign configuration through a text-based interface, assist traders with briefs and queries, and free up staff for strategic work.
- DramaBoxcoreThe Trade Desk became the first-ever demand-side platform (DSP) partner for vertical short drama platform DramaBox, enabling global advertisers to programmatically access short drama inventory within the open internet ecosystem. Global short drama market projected at $3 billion in 2025 with US now the largest market outside China.
- IAB Tech Lab Programmatic Governance CouncilcoreThe Trade Desk is a founding member of the IAB Tech Lab Programmatic Governance Council alongside WPP, Dentsu, Disney, Amazon Ads, Magnite, PubMatic, Hearst, News Corp, Yahoo, Raptive, and Mediavine, addressing systemic issues in the $200B U.S. programmatic ad market including bid duplication and QPS bloat.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
The Trade Desk competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yahoo DSP: Yahoo's programmatic DSP for omnichannel media buying across display, video, CTV and native. Co-listed as a partner DSP for Walmart retail media buying and competing head-to-head with TTD for agency and advertiser spend.
- MediaMath: Independent enterprise DSP focused on omnichannel programmatic buying. After emerging from Chapter 11 under new ownership, MediaMath competes with TTD in the independent-DSP segment for agency and brand-direct spend.
- Adobe Advertising Cloud (Adobe Ad Cloud DSP): Adobe's enterprise DSP offering omnichannel programmatic buying integrated with Adobe Experience Cloud. Competes with TTD for large brand and agency direct-buy budgets, particularly in analytics-led activation.
- Google Display & Video 360 (DV360): Google's enterprise demand-side platform within Google Ads, directly competing with The Trade Desk for omnichannel programmatic budgets. Operates inside the Google walled garden and is named alongside TTD in the Samsung Ads integration and Texas AG Netflix lawsuit.
- Amazon Ads (including Amazon DSP): Amazon's DSP offering competing across open web and Amazon-owned inventory. A key walled-garden rival whose expansion of closed-loop retail media and audience targeting directly challenges TTD's independent DSP positioning.
Emerging players
- StackAdapt: Programmatic advertising platform focused on native, display, video, CTV and audio buying with strong self-serve capabilities. Increasingly competing with TTD for mid-market and agency spend, particularly in native and CTV.
- Adform: European-headquartered independent ad-tech platform offering DSP, DMP, SSP and creative tools. Competes with TTD in EMEA markets where The Trade Desk is expanding internationally.
- Basis Technologies (Centro): Programmatic workflow and DSP platform serving agencies and brand advertisers, with strong agency-holding-company relationships. Competes with TTD on agency-centric programmatic buying and workflow tooling.
Others
- PubMatic: Independent programmatic SSP providing supply-side infrastructure across CTV, video and display. Co-founding member with TTD of the IAB Tech Lab Programmatic Governance Council; complementary rather than directly competitive.
- Magnite: Largest independent omnichannel sell-side platform (SSP) that powers much of the CTV and video inventory traded through TTD. Operates the SpringServe technology behind the Samsung TV home-screen programmatic integration; adjacent infrastructure rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Trade Desk social profiles
Digital presenceThe Trade Desk financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Trade Desk leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Trade Desk subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Trade Desk funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Trade Desk M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Trade Desk
What does The Trade Desk do?
The Trade Desk operates Kokai, a cloud-based independent demand-side platform (DSP) that enables advertisers and agencies to plan, activate, and measure programmatic media buying across omnichannel inventory including connected TV (CTV), audio, digital out-of-home, display, mobile, native, and video. The platform is enhanced by the Koa AI engine, the UID2/EUID open-source identity frameworks, OpenPath direct supply path, Galileo first-party data onboarding, and OpenTTD developer integrations. The Trade Desk earns revenue primarily through a take rate on programmatic ad spend transacted through the platform, plus subscription and managed service offerings for retail media.
Is The Trade Desk a public or private company?
The Trade Desk is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was The Trade Desk founded?
The Trade Desk was founded in 2009. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is The Trade Desk based?
The Trade Desk is headquartered in Ventura, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Trade Desk make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Programmatic media buying take rate is the primary driver. The others are kokai self-serve subscription, managed services for retail media and enterprise / agency programmatic services.
Who are The Trade Desk's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yahoo DSP, MediaMath, Adobe Advertising Cloud (Adobe Ad Cloud DSP), Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) and Amazon Ads (including Amazon DSP). Emerging players are StackAdapt, Adform and Basis Technologies (Centro). Others are PubMatic and Magnite.
Does The Trade Desk have an API?
Yes. Public-facing APIs are offered through the OpenTTD developer platform, which enables builders to integrate with The Trade Desk's media buying technology, identity solutions (UID2, EUID), and supply path (OpenPath). The platform includes an Open Agentic Kit for Koa Agents that allows third-party AI assistants to interact with The Trade Desk's campaign tooling. Apps on Databricks Marketplace are also available. Developer documentation is at open.thetradedesk.com.
What industry is The Trade Desk in?
The Trade Desk's product category is Programmatic Advertising (Demand-Side Platform). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAKAH, Ad Insertion & Monetization (SCTE-35, DAI/SSAI). Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 7829.