What Cavai does

Cavai is a conversational advertising technology company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, founded in 2018. It operates a privacy-first advertising platform that transforms standard digital display placements into two-way interactive dialogues between brands and consumers. The company serves global brands, media agencies, and premium publishers across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, with operational offices in Oslo, London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Singapore.

The core technology is a decision tree conversation engine that drives multiple ad formats including Dynamic Ads, Conversational Video, Conversational Banners, Conversational Commerce, and Chat Bubble-style units. The publisher side extends to Skin & Wallpaper takeovers, Mobile Canvas, Instream/Outstream and Adaptive Video, Playable Ads, Swipe Cube, Pre-filled Banners, Location-Based Ads, and Sports betting formats. Distribution occurs through programmatic integration with major ad exchanges, and the platform is registered within the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework (ID 729). Brand customers documented in case studies include Coca-Cola, L'Oréal, Unilever, Netflix, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, McDonald's, Adidas, Barclays, Nordea, Jet2.com, P&O Cruises, Deliveroo, American Express, Maybelline New York, Kérastase, Alpro, TV2 Sumo, OMO, and EDF, among others.

Cavai runs a sales-led, partnership-driven go-to-market model, distributing through all six major global media agency holding groups (WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, IPG, Dentsu, Havas) and a network of premium publishers (The Guardian, Schibsted, Axel Springer, Hearst, News Corp, Bonnier, and others). Revenue is generated through managed creative services and self-serve access via Cavai Studio. The company raised £6.5 million in Pre-IPO funding in August 2021 led by Idekapital with Investinor and FirstPartyCapital, explicitly to fund product development and US market expansion.

Name

Cavai

Legal name

Cavai AS

Website

https://cavai.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cavai is a privacy-first conversational advertising technology company that converts standard digital display ads into interactive two-way dialogues using decision tree technology, serving global brands, premium publishers, and major media agency groups across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conversational Advertising Technology (Adtech)

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Feed Management & Shopping Ads (PLA/Product Ads) (MPAAACAL)

Keywords

• Conversational advertising platform
• Interactive ad formats
• Programmatic ad technology
• Privacy-first advertising
• Publisher ad monetization

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Platform Services: Cavai provides conversational and interactive ad formats to brands and agencies, operating as an adtech platform that charges for ad delivery and creative services across premium publisher environments

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cavai builds a privacy-first conversational advertising platform that enables brands and agencies to deploy interactive, two-way ad experiences using proprietary decision tree technology. The offering includes a portfolio of advertiser-side solutions (Dynamic Ads, Conversational Video, Conversational Banners, Conversational Commerce, Cavai Bubble) and publisher-side ad formats (Skin & Wallpaper, APTO & HPTO, Mobile Canvas, Instream & Outstream Video, Adaptive Video, Vertical Video on Mobile, Adbubble, Scrollable Ads, Playable Ads, Interactive Ads, Swipe Cube, Pre-filled Banners, Location-Based Ads, Sports: Matches & Odds), delivered through managed services and a self-serve Cavai Studio with full reporting and analytics.

Product overview

Cavai offers a unified conversational advertising platform with two main components: the Cavai Platform (a privacy-first advertising platform enabling brands to create interactive ad experiences) and an array of publisher ad formats for monetization. The platform features decision tree conversation technology that transforms standard display placements into personalized, two-way dialogues. Publisher-facing products include Skin & Wallpaper, APTO & HPTO (takeover formats), Mobile Canvas, Video formats (Instream, Outstream, Adaptive, Vertical, Video Banners), Playable Ads, Interactive Ads, Swipe Cube, and specialized formats like Location-Based and Sports betting. The platform delivers through both managed service and self-serve models with comprehensive analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cavai Platform (Conversational Advertising Platform) A privacy-first conversational advertising software platform that enables brands and agencies to build, deploy, and optimize interactive ad experiences (Dynamic Ads, Conversational Video, Conversational Banners, Conversational Commerce, Cavai Bubble), transforming standard display placements into two-way dialogues with consumers. Delivered via managed service and self-serve access with creative tools and analytics.
• Dynamic Ads Interactive ad units powered by Cavai's creative engine that personalize content in real time while respecting user privacy, enabling advertisers to deliver tailored experiences without intrusive data collection.
• Conversational Video Video ad format combining moving imagery with interactive dialogue so users can engage with brand and product stories through personalized conversation flows while watching.
• Conversational Banners Traditional banner ad unit enhanced with interactive conversational features, enabling brands to invite users into two-way dialogues that answer questions and guide them through tailored experiences.
• Conversational Commerce Ad format that turns ad placements into personalized shopping experiences where consumers can browse products, ask questions, and complete purchases directly inside the ad unit.
• Cavai Bubble Familiar chat-bubble style conversational ad unit that mirrors leading social-media chat patterns to create intuitive, engaging brand interactions.
• Cavai Studio Reporting Interface Analytics and reporting dashboard for Cavai business customers providing impressions, click-through, interaction rate, started rate, video, and conversation-flow performance metrics for conversational ad campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2x higher attention than Lumen benchmark in Adidas campaign
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Lumen ResearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading attention technology company utilizing eye-tracking to measure attention in digital campaigns. Partnership includes joint research on how attention drives engagement and better advertising outcomes.
• IAB EuropecoreTechnology or IntegrationCavai participates in the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework (ID: 729) and complies with its Specifications and Policies for programmatic advertising
• Coalition for Better AdsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry coalition working to improve consumer experience in online advertising; Cavai's ad formats align with better ads standards
• GumGummoderateTechnology or IntegrationAd tech integration partner for contextual advertising capabilities
• MobstamoderateTechnology or IntegrationLocation data and audience targeting technology partner, particularly for campaigns like P&O Cruises utilizing Nielsen data for programmatic activation
• BlismoderateTechnology or IntegrationLocation intelligence and advertising technology partner
• AzerionmoderateTechnology or IntegrationDigital advertising and gaming technology partner for ad creative integration
• The GuardiancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium publisher partner delivering Cavai's conversational ad formats to audiences
• SchibstedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Nordic media company partner, including Tori.fi marketplace for S-Pankki campaign and other publisher placements
• Axel Springer SEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading European digital publisher partner (includes brands like Bild and Die Welt)
• Hearst CommunicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor US media company partner with premium publishing brands
• News CorpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal news and media publisher partner
• Bonnier ABcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading Nordic media group partner
• AdevintamoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean marketplace and classified advertising platform partner
• MamamiamoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian women's media company partner
• Singapore Press HoldingsmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSingapore's leading media company partner
• MediacorpmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSingapore's national broadcaster and media partner
• WPPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor global media agency group partner recommending Cavai formats to brand clients
• Omnicom GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor global media agency group partner
• Publicis GroupecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor global media agency group partner
• The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor global media agency group partner
• Dentsu InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor global media agency group partner
• HavascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor global media agency group partner
• WavemakercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia agency partner for P&O Cruises campaign, utilizing Mobsta data for programmatic audience activation
• DIA SupermercadoscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish retail media partner for Coca-Cola Euro 2024 campaign, won Retail Media Award for the collaboration
• LoopMemoderateTechnology or IntegrationAudience measurement technology partner providing PurchaseLoop Audiences and attention measurement for Alpro campaign
• Good Morning NaugmoderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreative agency assisting in crafting questions and illustrations for BMW Christmas quiz campaign
• VizeummoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia agency partner in BMW campaign collaboration

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smartly.io: Smartly provides creative automation, media buying, and ad optimization tools primarily for social and digital channels, with strong agency and brand relationships. Comparable to Cavai as a creative-adjacent adtech platform operating in the same advertiser and agency ecosystem.
• Innovid: Innovid is an independent adtech platform for delivering, measuring, and optimizing interactive and video ad experiences across CTV, digital video, and display. Directly comparable to Cavai in the interactive/dynamic creative adtech category serving advertisers and publishers globally.
• Celtra: Celtra provides a creative adtech platform for building, automating, and measuring dynamic and interactive display and video ad formats at scale. Closely comparable to Cavai in delivering rich, non-standard digital ad units to premium publishers and brand advertisers via agency channels.
• Ogury: Ogury is a mobile adtech company offering interactive and persona-based advertising solutions built on first-party data. Comparable to Cavai in delivering non-standard, engagement-driven ad formats via agency channels with a privacy-forward posture.
• Adludio: Adludio builds interactive, data-driven mobile display ad formats designed for brand engagement and outcomes. Highly comparable to Cavai as a specialist in non-standard interactive ad units sold through agencies and direct to brands.
• Kevel: Kevel offers an ad server and APIs that enable retailers, publishers, and brands to build custom ad serving including interactive and dynamic formats. Comparable to Cavai's publisher-facing programmatic integration and custom ad format tooling.
• GumGum: GumGum is a contextual digital advertising platform specializing in attention-based, privacy-forward ad formats across display and video. Comparable to Cavai in its privacy-conscious, attention-measured ad approach and overlap in advertiser and agency customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Criteo: Criteo is a global commerce media platform serving display, retargeting, and retail media at massive scale across agency and publisher ecosystems. Comparable as a broad incumbent adtech competitor addressing overlapping advertiser budgets, though its core focus is performance retargeting rather than conversational formats.
• AdColony (Digital Turbine): AdColony, part of Digital Turbine, is a mobile adtech platform offering video, interactive, and rewarded ad formats to advertisers and publishers globally. Comparable to Cavai in interactive mobile ad formats and publisher monetization at substantially larger scale.

Emerging players

• SmartFrame Technologies: SmartFrame provides interactive image and video ad formats with built-in engagement metrics and analytics. Overlaps with Cavai in interactive display formats and publisher monetization, though with narrower product breadth and a different distribution focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cavai