BlackArrow
Cadent (formerly BlackArrow) operates a unified multiscreen advertising platform combining Audience Manager, DSP, and SSP on a patented Viewer Graph, serving enterprise brand advertisers and agencies with predictive AI across digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BlackArrow does
Cadent (operating company linked to the legacy BlackArrow entity, founded 2004 and headquartered in New York with a San Jose presence) provides a unified multiscreen advertising technology platform for brand advertisers and agencies. The platform integrates an Audience Manager, a Demand-Side Platform (DSP), and a Supply-Side Platform (SSP) into a single system anchored by a patented Viewer Graph that performs cross-device and cross-channel identity resolution across digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube. Daily, the platform evaluates 200 billion ad opportunities using 22,000+ proprietary predictive AI/ML models and bids on only the top 0.1% most likely to hit advertiser-defined KPIs; "Data Fidelity" preserves audience signals end-to-end across siloed workflows and the "Inventory Manager" commits to 100% premium direct CTV inventory.
The product surface includes the Cadent Platform, Total Video (unified digital/linear TV/CTV/YouTube planning), YouTube Advertising, the AI-enabled Predictive Audience Builder, and dedicated SSP and DSP modules. Revenue is generated through subscription/usage-based platform fees paid by advertisers (DSP) and publishers (SSP), with usage-based charges for audience activation services such as the Predictive Audience Builder; pricing is quote-based with annual billing against enterprise customers. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting major brand advertisers and agencies, supplemented by a self-serve login portal (cadent.app). Named customers span Toyota, Apple, Samsung, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, Wingstop, Ubisoft, and Office Depot, with a Google Gemini Enterprise partnership and consecutive SPARK Matrix (2024, 2025) and Frost Radar 2025 analyst leadership recognition supporting the enterprise positioning.
Cadent employs 51-100 staff and operates with no disclosed parent company, no public listing, and no disclosed revenue, funding, or ownership structure. The company's recent strategic activity has centered on three 2025 product launches (AI-enabled Predictive Audience Builder, 100% premium direct CTV Inventory Manager, YouTube Advertising), the Gemini Enterprise integration, and the appointment of a new COO to lead the next phase of growth.
BlackArrow firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BlackArrow
- Legal name
- Cadent
- Website
- https://cadent.tv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cadent (formerly BlackArrow) operates a unified multiscreen advertising platform combining Audience Manager, DSP, and SSP on a patented Viewer Graph, serving enterprise brand advertisers and agencies with predictive AI across digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BlackArrow industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Programmatic Advertising Technology
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Demand-Side Platforms (DSP) (BPAMALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Supply-Side Platforms (SSP) & Publisher Monetization (BPAMALAC), Programmatic Display & Video (DSP/RTB) (BPAFACAC), Ad Networks & Exchanges (Programmatic RTB) (BPAMALAA)
Keywords
Where BlackArrow is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BlackArrow business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Demand-Side Platform (DSP) Services: Platform fees and spending charges for advertisers using the Cadent DSP to plan, activate, and measure advertising campaigns across digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube.
- Supply-Side Platform (SSP) Services: Revenue from publishers and content owners monetizing their inventory through Cadent's SSP.
- Audience Activation Platform: Charges for audience targeting and activation services, including predictive audience building tools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise/Contact Sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
BlackArrow product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BlackArrow (operating as Cadent) provides a unified advertising technology platform that combines an Audience Manager, Demand-Side Platform (DSP), and Supply-Side Platform (SSP) anchored by a patented Viewer Graph for cross-screen identity resolution. The platform serves major brand advertisers and agencies with predictive video advertising across digital, linear TV, connected TV (CTV), and YouTube channels, leveraging 22,000+ AI/ML models to bid only on the top 0.1% of impressions most likely to achieve advertiser KPIs.
Product overview
Cadent offers a unified advertising platform architecture that integrates Audience Manager, DSP (Demand-Side Platform), and SSP (Supply-Side Platform) into a single system anchored by the patented Viewer Graph technology. The platform provides end-to-end advertising capabilities including planning, activation, and measurement across digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube channels. With 22,000+ predictive AI/ML models analyzing 200 billion daily ad opportunities, the platform enables precision targeting by only bidding on the top 0.1% most likely to hit advertiser KPIs. The Total Video product brings all video channels together, while specialized features like Inventory Manager and Predictive Audience Builder provide differentiated capabilities for CTV inventory management and audience construction.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cadent Platform Unified advertising platform that seamlessly connects Audience Manager, DSP, and SSP into a single system anchored by the patented Viewer Graph. Eliminates fragmentation of ad tech stacks and provides end-to-end control over planning, activation, and measurement across digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube. Designed for major brand advertisers and agencies.
- Total Video Unified media strategy offering that brings digital, linear TV, CTV, and YouTube together in one platform for converged-world advertising. Enables brands to connect with audiences across all video channels through a single platform approach.
- YouTube Advertising YouTube ad placement and management capability integrated into the Total Video offering. Enables advertisers to reach 2 billion logged-in monthly YouTube users with predictive targeting powered by the Cadent Platform's AI/ML models.
Quantifiable outcome
- Only 0.1% of impressions are served after predictive scoring, ensuring precision and reducing wasted spend
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use BlackArrow
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
BlackArrow technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
BlackArrow partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Google Gemini EnterprisecoreCadent became one of the first audience activation platforms available in Google Gemini Enterprise, enabling advertisers to leverage Gemini AI capabilities for audience targeting and activation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BlackArrow competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LiveRamp: Identity resolution and data collaboration platform that powers cross-channel audience targeting. Highly comparable to Cadent's Viewer Graph identity backbone and audience activation layer.
- Pubmatic: Independent SSP and programmatic advertising platform serving publishers and media buyers across digital video and CTV. Comparable in business model to Cadent's SSP and audience activation layer.
- Magnite: The largest independent supply-side platform with a leading position in CTV. Directly competes with Cadent's SSP module and shares the same premium-CTV inventory and cross-screen monetization thesis.
- MediaMath: Enterprise DSP focused on omnichannel programmatic media buying for brand advertisers. Direct overlap with Cadent's DSP and Audience Manager capabilities across digital, video, and CTV.
- The Trade Desk: The leading independent demand-side platform for omnichannel programmatic advertising, including CTV. Direct competitor to Cadent's DSP offering across the same enterprise brand advertiser base and the same cross-channel video use cases.
Broad incumbents
- FreeWheel: Comcast-owned ad server and SSP focused on premium video and CTV. Closely comparable to Cadent's SSP and Total Video capabilities and a natural peer given shared pay-TV DNA and investor overlap (Comcast Ventures).
- Yahoo (Yahoo Ad Tech): Operates a DSP (Yahoo DSP) and SSP in the broader programmatic ecosystem. A larger incumbent competing with Cadent across connected TV and cross-screen video buying.
- Google Display & Video 360: Google's enterprise DSP within the Google Marketing Platform. Competes broadly with Cadent across display, video, and CTV demand-side workflows, with structural advantages from YouTube and Google ad inventory.
- Amazon Ads: Amazon's growing omnichannel DSP/SSP offering, anchored by first-party commerce data and Prime Video/IMDb TV CTV inventory. A scaled walled-garden competitor across the same cross-channel video use cases.
Emerging players
- Innovid: Independent ad tech company specializing in CTV ad serving, creative, and measurement. Comparable niche overlap with Cadent's CTV-focused Inventory Manager and Total Video offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BlackArrow social profiles
Digital presenceBlackArrow financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BlackArrow leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
BlackArrow funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BlackArrow 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 BlackArrow
What does BlackArrow do?
BlackArrow (operating as Cadent) provides a unified advertising technology platform that combines an Audience Manager, Demand-Side Platform (DSP), and Supply-Side Platform (SSP) anchored by a patented Viewer Graph for cross-screen identity resolution. The platform serves major brand advertisers and agencies with predictive video advertising across digital, linear TV, connected TV (CTV), and YouTube channels, leveraging 22,000+ AI/ML models to bid only on the top 0.1% of impressions most likely to achieve advertiser KPIs.
Is BlackArrow a public or private company?
BlackArrow is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was BlackArrow founded?
BlackArrow was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is BlackArrow based?
BlackArrow is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does BlackArrow make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Demand-Side Platform (DSP) Services are the primary driver. The others are supply-Side Platform (SSP) Services and audience Activation Platform.
Who are BlackArrow's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LiveRamp, Pubmatic, Magnite, MediaMath and The Trade Desk. Broad incumbents are FreeWheel, Yahoo (Yahoo Ad Tech), Google Display & Video 360 and Amazon Ads. Innovid is listed as an emerging player.
Does BlackArrow have an API?
No public API is recorded for BlackArrow.
What industry is BlackArrow in?
BlackArrow's product category is Programmatic Advertising Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAB, Demand-Side Platforms (DSP), with a secondary code of BPAMALAC, Supply-Side Platforms (SSP) & Publisher Monetization. Its NAICS code is 541830 and its SIC code is 7310.