What Headlight does

Headlight Labs, Inc. (operating as Headlight) is a privately-held, fully-remote growth marketing agency incorporated in California that serves consumer technology, mobile app, gaming, and DTC commerce brands. The company operates a "full-stack" model built on three integrated service lines: Managed Growth (paid social, programmatic display, search, CTV/OTT, audio, and organic media buying), Creative Studio (in-house creative production billed on a recurring subscription model), and Analytics & Data Science (MMP/CDP integration, web instrumentation, Facebook CAPI, Google Enhanced Conversions, media mix modeling, and predictive LTV/ROI forecasting). The team is reported to have driven over $1 billion in client revenue since 2018, with named customers including Calm, TIDAL, Disney Streaming, Uber, CashApp, Supercell, ADT, Ro, Klover, Metromile, Zynga, Aspiration, Away, and WhatNot.

Underlying the service offering is an integration-heavy technology stack that connects to mobile measurement partners (Adjust, Singular, AppsFlyer), ad platforms (Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple Search Ads, Roku, Hulu, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, X), and CRPs/CDPs (Segment, HubSpot, Salesforce). Headlight's proprietary T.E.A. (Thematic Evaluation Algorithm) uses large language models such as ChatGPT/GPT-4 to extract consumer sentiment themes from customer reviews at scale, and the firm layers predictive analytics and channel automation (programmatic bid/budget rules and automated ad-set duplication) onto its media-buying workflows.

Headlight monetizes through a hybrid of professional-services retainers (Managed Growth and Analytics) and a monthly subscription Creative Studio, qualifying enterprise prospects via free strategic audit sessions. Every engagement is led by a senior executive with at least ten years of hands-on experience, positioning the firm as an embedded extension of client growth teams rather than a traditional media agency. The company reports 1–10 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, and no disclosed revenue — a data gap that constrains valuation inference but is consistent with a tightly-held, founder-operated services firm.

Name

Headlight

Legal name

Headlight Labs, Inc.

Website

https://headlight.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Headlight is a fully-remote, senior-led growth marketing agency offering integrated media buying, in-house creative production on a subscription basis, and analytics/measurement services to consumer technology, mobile app, gaming, and DTC commerce brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Growth Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Growth marketing services
• Media buying agency
• Creative production studio
• Marketing analytics platform
• Performance marketing agency

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed Growth Services: Paid media management including Paid Social, Programmatic Display, Search, CTV & OTT, Audio, and Organic channels. Strategic consulting and executive advisory services.
2. Creative Studio Subscription: Flexible subscription model with transparent pricing for creative services including Creative Direction, Strategy, Design, Motion, Illustration, Audio Design, and Creative Testing Frameworks.
3. Analytics & Data Science: Data integration and advanced measurement solutions including MMP & CDP integration, web instrumentation, and media mix modeling services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Headlight is a full-stack growth marketing agency that delivers Managed Growth (media buying across paid social, programmatic, search, CTV/OTT, audio, and organic), Creative Studio (in-house creative production including design, motion, video, UGC, and testing frameworks), and Analytics & Data Science (MMP/CDP integration, attribution, and advanced measurement such as MMM and predictive LTV). Engagements are sold as white-glove, senior-executive-led strategic consultancy partnerships serving enterprise consumer brands, gaming studios, and DTC commerce companies.

Product overview

Headlight is a full-stack growth marketing agency offering three integrated service lines: Managed Growth (media buying across paid social, programmatic, search, CTV/OTT, audio, and organic), Creative Studio (end-to-end creative production including design, video, motion, copy, and testing frameworks), and Analytics & Data Science (MMP/CDP integration, attribution implementation, and advanced measurement including predictive LTV forecasting and media mix modeling). The offering is unified around a high-touch, partner-centric model where senior executives lead engagements, combining strategic consulting with hands-on execution across the full funnel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• CTR increased by 92%, CPA cut in half for Klover
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AdjustcoreTechnology or IntegrationMMP (Mobile Measurement Partner) providing attribution and analytics data essential for Headlight's mobile app and gaming client campaigns. Ben Bowen, Partnerships Manager at Adjust provides insights on gaming industry trends and measurement solutions.
• SingularcoreTechnology or IntegrationMMP partner helping deliver best possible results for gaming and app-based clients. Co-Founder & COO Susan Kuo discussed SKAN reporting solutions and unified iOS reporting.
• AppsFlyercoreTechnology or IntegrationMMP partner instrumental in delivering results for gaming and app clients. Brian Murphy, Head of Gaming at AppsFlyer discussed AI in game development and cross-platform opportunities.
• WP EnginesupportingTechnology or IntegrationHosting and database co-location services provider referenced in privacy policy as a third-party service provider.
• Google AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationData analytics services provider referenced in privacy policy as a third-party service provider.
• HubSpotsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCRM platform provider referenced in privacy policy as a third-party service provider.
• SalesforcesupportingTechnology or IntegrationCRM platform provider referenced in privacy policy as a third-party service provider.
• MailChimpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEmail distribution and monitoring services provider referenced in privacy policy.
• IntercomsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCustomer support and call center services provider referenced in privacy policy.
• HotjarsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSession replay and analytics for crash detection, functionality and usability testing referenced in privacy policy.
• CeltrasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerVP of Creative Sharon Romang appeared on Celtra's Brand-Side podcast to discuss performance marketing topics.
• ZyngacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint panel discussion on creative optimization during economic downturn. Zynga growth experts joined Headlight to discuss driving better marketing efficiency through creative.
• SupercellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for global game launches including Brawl Stars. Headlight has partnerships with Supercell for marketing their titles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tinuiti: Largest independent performance marketing agency in the US, offering paid media, creative, analytics, and CRM across channels. Directly comparable to Headlight's full-funnel offering but at materially greater scale with thousands of clients and broader service depth.
• Wpromote: Large digital marketing agency providing paid media, SEO, creative, and analytics with Polaris, its proprietary martech platform. Competes with Headlight for enterprise growth marketing engagements and has significantly more scale and proprietary technology investment.
• Brainlabs: Global digital media agency with proprietary programmatic technology and a strong data-science orientation. Overlaps with Headlight's analytics-and-measurement capabilities and serves similar enterprise consumer brands, with significantly larger global scale.

Direct peers

• Disruptive Advertising: Performance marketing agency specializing in paid media, lifecycle marketing, and creative for ecommerce and SaaS brands. Closely comparable to Headlight's paid-social and DTC focus, with a similar mid-market to enterprise positioning.
• Power Digital Marketing: Full-service performance marketing agency offering paid media, creative, SEO, and analytics with proprietary technology (nova intelligence). Directly comparable in service mix and enterprise DTC/SaaS targeting, though larger in headcount and capital base.
• Hawke Media: Performance marketing agency providing paid media, ecommerce, and creative services across DTC and consumer brands. Comparable in offering mix and target customer profile to Headlight, though generally serving earlier-stage and mid-market clients.
• Rise Interactive: Performance marketing agency focused on media, analytics, and customer experience for mid-market and enterprise brands. Direct competitor for Headlight's full-funnel offering with comparable emphasis on data-driven decisioning.
• GALE: Business agency combining creative, media, and analytics for enterprise brands. Comparable integrated offering to Headlight and competes for similar enterprise client profile across consumer and commerce categories.
• AMP Agency: Integrated marketing agency offering paid media, creative, and analytics with strength in streaming, entertainment, and consumer technology. Closely comparable to Headlight in client verticals like Disney Streaming and TIDAL.
• MuteSix: Performance marketing agency specializing in paid social, CTV, and creative for DTC and ecommerce brands. Directly comparable to Headlight's managed growth and creative studio offerings with overlap in target verticals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Headlight