Sift Media
Sift Media is a Durham, NC-based mobile adtech company using AI/ML to hyper-target app install ads across 15 RTB exchanges, serving brands like Amazon, Uber, and Zynga through its App Graph technology processing 50 billion daily ad requests globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Sift Media does
Sift Media, Inc. is a Durham, North Carolina-based mobile advertising technology company founded in 2015 that operates an AI/ML-driven platform for hyper-targeting app install advertising. The company collects behavioral and device-level data on 3 billion smartphone users globally and processes 50 billion mobile ad requests daily, connecting to 15 real-time bidding (RTB) exchanges including Google, InMobi, Magnite, PubMatic, and OpenX. Its proprietary "App Graph" analyzes connections between installed apps to derive interest-based targeting segments, and the platform responds to bid requests in under 120 milliseconds with a less than 0.1% timeout rate, with infrastructure distributed across datacenters in the US East, Singapore, and Germany. Sift has cumulatively delivered more than 100 million app installs and 250 billion mobile ads for clients including Amazon, Facebook, Uber, Flipkart, Zynga, Priceline.com, and Hotels.com.
The company's product portfolio centers on the Sift Media Platform and includes two sub-products — DemandScale (a demand-side platform recognized on the AppsFlyer Performance Index 14) and LocalScale (localized mobile advertising). Sift monetizes primarily through performance-based advertising fees tied to app installs and post-install engagement, supplemented by analytics subscriptions and the sale of aggregated targeting segments. The go-to-market is hybrid: direct enterprise sales to brands and app developers alongside channel partnerships with agencies, ad networks, and DSPs. Sift has raised more than $5 million in cumulative venture funding from investors including Wakefield Group, Alerion Ventures, IDEA Fund Partners, Piedmont Capital, Cofounders Capital, and Triangle Tweener Fund, and is founder-led by serial adtech entrepreneur Jud Bowman (previously founder of Motricity and Appia).
Sift Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sift Media
- Legal name
- Sift Media, Inc.
- Website
- https://sift.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sift Media is a Durham, NC-based mobile adtech company using AI/ML to hyper-target app install ads across 15 RTB exchanges, serving brands like Amazon, Uber, and Zynga through its App Graph technology processing 50 billion daily ad requests globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sift Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile App Install Advertising Technology
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ad Tech for OTT (SSAI/CSAI, Ad Decisioning, Measurement) (MPAHAJAG)
Keywords
Where Sift Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Sift Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Targeted Advertising Services: Sift uses collected and aggregated User Data to deliver targeted and relevant mobile advertisements. The company processes bid requests from RTB exchanges and serves ads to mobile app users based on behavioral and interest-based profiles. Revenue is generated through ad serving fees and campaign performance metrics.
- App Install Ad Delivery: Sift delivers app install ads for clients, having delivered more than 100M app installs. Revenue is tied to performance metrics including installs and post-install engagement.
- Analytics Services: Sift provides usage data visualization and analysis tools and reports to customers through secure interfaces, enabling advertisers to understand campaign performance and optimize targeting.
- Aggregated Targeting Segments: Sift creates, analyzes, markets, distributes to third parties, and makes available for sale aggregated and anonymous targeting segments for digital advertising purposes.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Sift Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sift Media operates a B2B mobile advertising technology platform that uses AI and machine learning to hyper-target app install ads. The platform processes over 50 billion mobile ad requests daily across 15 RTB exchange partners and 100 countries, cross-referencing bid requests with user profile and app install data to deliver targeted campaigns. Sub-products DemandScale (DSP) and LocalScale extend the platform to scaled multi-geography and localized mobile advertising respectively.
Product overview
Sift Media operates as a mobile advertising technology company offering a unified platform built around AI and machine learning for hyper-targeting app install ads at massive scale. The core Sift Media Platform processes over 50 billion mobile ad requests daily across 15 RTB exchange partners, 100 countries, and 3 global datacenters. The product portfolio includes the DemandScale demand-side platform and the LocalScale local advertising sub-product, which together enable clients to run and scale targeted mobile advertising campaigns globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sift Media Platform Sift's core mobile advertising platform that processes over 50 billion mobile ad requests daily, leveraging AI and machine learning to hyper-target app install ads for clients across 15 RTB exchange partners and 100 countries.
- DemandScale A demand-side platform (DSP) offering within Sift's suite that enables customers to scale mobile performance campaigns across multiple geographies, recognized on the AppsFlyer Performance Index.
- LocalScale
Quantifiable outcome
- 100 million+ app installs delivered for clients
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sift Media
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sift Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Sift Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AdColonycoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- GooglecoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- Index ExchangecoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- InMobicoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- LoopMecoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- MagnitecoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- OpenXcoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- PubMaticcoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- SmaatocoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- Start.iocoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- VunglecoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- Media.netcoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- MobfoxcoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- AlgorixcoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- adviewcoreRTB exchange partner providing mobile advertising inventory to Sift's platform.
- American Underground @MainminorStartup incubator in downtown Durham where Sift is based, providing co-working space and ecosystem access.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sift Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Chartboost: Chartboost is a mobile gaming-focused programmatic ad exchange and mediation platform; partial overlap with Sift's gaming app install use cases (e.g., Zynga, King.com).
- Persona.ly: Persona.ly is an emerging programmatic DSP specializing in mobile user acquisition and retargeting, with a similar ML-bidding approach to Sift's DemandScale.
Direct peers
- Vungle: Vungle (owned by Liftoff) operates in-app advertising networks and DSP infrastructure, and is simultaneously a partner and competitor to Sift for mobile app install demand.
- Moloco: Moloco operates a programmatic DSP for mobile app install ads using ML-based bidding, directly overlapping with Sift's DemandScale offering on enterprise and growth-stage advertisers.
- AppLovin: AppLovin operates a leading mobile user acquisition and monetization platform via its AXON algorithm and SparkLabs network, directly competing with Sift on app install advertising for performance marketers globally.
- ironSource: ironSource (now part of Unity) runs a mobile app install ad network and DSP with similar ML-driven bidding to Sift, targeting the same app developer and brand advertiser base.
- Unity Ads: Unity's combined ironSource + Unity Ads stack is a direct competitor in mobile app install and re-engagement advertising, with comparable RTB-driven performance campaigns.
- Liftoff: Liftoff is a mobile ad network and DSP focused on app install and retargeting campaigns, with Vungle creative assets — competing head-to-head with Sift on app install delivery performance.
Broad incumbents
- InMobi: InMobi is both an RTB exchange partner and a competing mobile ad platform with its own DSP capabilities; it competes with Sift for app install budgets at a broader geographic scale.
- Digital Turbine: Digital Turbine acquired Appia — the prior venture of Sift's CEO Jud Bowman — and is a broader mobile media/UA incumbent, making it a natural comparable and potential acquirer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sift Media social profiles
Digital presenceSift Media compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Sift Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sift Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Sift Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sift Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sift Media
What does Sift Media do?
Sift Media operates a B2B mobile advertising technology platform that uses AI and machine learning to hyper-target app install ads. The platform processes over 50 billion mobile ad requests daily across 15 RTB exchange partners and 100 countries, cross-referencing bid requests with user profile and app install data to deliver targeted campaigns. Sub-products DemandScale (DSP) and LocalScale extend the platform to scaled multi-geography and localized mobile advertising respectively.
Is Sift Media a public or private company?
Sift Media is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sift Media founded?
Sift Media was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sift Media based?
Sift Media is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sift Media make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Targeted Advertising Services are the primary driver. The others are app Install Ad Delivery, analytics Services and aggregated Targeting Segments.
Who are Sift Media's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Chartboost and Persona.ly. Direct peers are Vungle, Moloco, AppLovin, ironSource, Unity Ads and Liftoff. Broad incumbents are InMobi and Digital Turbine.
Does Sift Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sift Media.
What industry is Sift Media in?
Sift Media's product category is Mobile App Install Advertising Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAJAG, Ad Tech for OTT (SSAI/CSAI, Ad Decisioning, Measurement). Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7310.