What Shep Digital Solutions does

Shep Digital Solutions, legally NewsBreak Media Network d/b/a Shep Digital Solutions, is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based B2B software company that operates a proprietary retail media network platform purpose-built for the convenience store (c-store) and fuel retail industry. Founded in 2009 as NewsBreak Media Networks and rebranded in September 2021, the company provides a unified content management platform that orchestrates digital signage across the entire c-store customer journey—from forecourt pump displays and dispenser screens to in-store signage and point-of-sale systems. The platform integrates with leading hardware manufacturers (Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Dover, NCR, Bennett) and digital signage vendors (Convergent, Stratacash, Broadsign), and ingests broadcast content from major media partners (NBC Universal, Sinclair, Tegna, NexStar). The platform's value proposition centers on converting the approximately 75% of c-store customers who purchase fuel without entering the store into in-store multi-product purchasers through data-driven, targeted messaging.

The Shep Platform is organized as a core content management system with four integrated modules: Marketing Automation (algorithmic selection and scheduling of promotional content), Content Procurement and Production (portfolio of local and national news, weather, sports, and custom merchandising content), Data-Driven Shopper Marketing (uses weather, temperature, household income, historical sales, and loyalty program data to programmatically optimize content selection), and a Customizable Solution layer for retailer-specific configurations including loyalty integration and interactive elements. The company monetizes through recurring SaaS/platform subscriptions, retail media advertising inventory (where Shep helps retailers sell ad placements to CPG vendors), and professional services for implementation and ongoing support. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and follows a quote-based enterprise sales model.

Shep sells primarily through enterprise field sales targeting c-store operators, supplemented by channel partnerships with hardware OEMs whose distribution networks provide market access. Named customers include Shell, Exxon Mobil, Sinclair Oil, United Dairy Farmers, Twice Daily, Dodge's, United Pacific, and Citymart. The company employs approximately 13 people across engineering, sales, customer success, marketing, finance, and technical operations, with a leadership team headed by CEO Bob Bradley (25+ years media and entertainment), President Brian Nelson (15 years retail marketing and new market development), and CTO Didier Leonard-Jean Charles (25+ years in AdTech, MarTech, eCommerce, and enterprise architecture). The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, venture capital, or private equity ownership.

Name

Shep Digital Solutions

Legal name

NewsBreak Media Network d/b/a Shep Digital Solutions

Website

https://shepdigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shep Digital Solutions operates a proprietary retail media network platform for convenience stores, unifying digital screens from the fuel pump to the point-of-sale to drive in-store traffic, increase basket size, and convert fuel-only customers into multi-product purchasers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Media Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail ERP (Merchandising, POS Back Office) (HDAEAEAD)

Keywords

• Retail media platform
• Digital signage software
• Shopper marketing technology
• Convenience store marketing
• In-store digital experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform/SaaS Subscription: Recurring subscription model for access to Shep's unified retail media platform, including content management, marketing automation, and data analytics capabilities.
2. Retail Media Advertising Inventory: Shep helps retailers monetize advertising inventory across their store screens by selling ad placements to CPG vendors and other advertisers, with revenue share or fees to the retailer.
3. Professional Services: Implementation, onboarding, and ongoing support services for retailers deploying the retail media network solution, including hardware integration and content strategy consulting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shep Digital Solutions provides a proprietary unified retail media platform that enables convenience store operators to manage digital content across all in-store screens—from fuel pump displays to point-of-sale systems. The platform orchestrates targeted digital experiences using data-driven content selection (weather, temperature, household income, historical sales, loyalty data) to convert fuel-only customers into multi-product purchasers. Shep also helps retailers monetize advertising inventory through CPG vendor partnerships and delivers local broadcast content through integrations with major broadcasters.

Product overview

Shep Digital Solutions offers a unified retail media platform architecture with multiple integrated modules. The core Shep Platform serves as the central nervous system, unified by a Retail Media Content Management System that coordinates all digital touchpoints. Four key modules extend the platform's functionality: Marketing Automation handles intelligent content distribution; Content Procurement and Production provides engaging local and national content plus custom merchandising; Data-Driven Shopper Marketing leverages analytics for personalized promotions; and Customizable Solution enables retailers to tailor the experience with loyalty integration, on-demand features, and interactive elements. Together, these components enable c-stores to orchestrate targeted digital experiences from the fuel pump to the point-of-sale, converting fuel-only customers into multi-product purchasers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shep Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-100% increase in unit sales when supporting promotional campaigns with strategic shopper marketing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gilbarco Veeder-RootcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor fuel dispenser and forecourt equipment manufacturer. Gilbarco's distribution network enables Shep's platform integration with dispensers at c-stores across North America. Partnership allows Shep to manage content on screens integrated with Gilbarco hardware.
• DovercoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal diversified industrial manufacturer with significant presence in fuel retail equipment. Dover's pump and dispenser technology integrates with Shep's platform to enable forecourt digital experiences.
• NCRcoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading provider of retail technology solutions including point-of-sale systems. NCR's POS platform integration enables Shep to deliver targeted messaging at checkout and tie promotions to transaction data.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vistar Media: Vistar Media operates a programmatic retail media and digital out-of-home ad network, including in-store and venue-based digital signage. It is comparable to Shep because both monetize fragmented digital screen inventory through a unified, data-driven ad platform serving enterprise retailers.
• Reflect Systems: Reflect Systems offers in-store digital media, shopper marketing, and retail media network software for enterprise retailers. It competes head-to-head with Shep in monetizing c-store and convenience retail digital screens through targeted content and advertising.
• Convergent (Digital Signage): Convergent is a digital signage vendor that Shep's platform integrates with to unify content management across c-store screens. It is a directly comparable provider of in-store digital signage infrastructure in the convenience retail vertical.
• Stratacash: Stratacash provides retail digital signage and shopper media solutions for convenience stores and fuel retailers. Shep's platform supports Stratacash as an integrated signage vendor, making it a directly adjacent competitor in the c-store retail media space.
• Broadsign: Broadsign provides a digital signage CMS and ad-serving platform for out-of-home and in-store networks. Shep lists Broadsign as an integration target for unifying content across c-store screens, making it a directly comparable platform in retail digital signage.

Broad incumbents

• Samsung VXT: Samsung VXT is a cloud-based digital signage CMS from Samsung for managing screens across retail and enterprise environments. It overlaps with Shep's screen management functionality but operates as part of Samsung's broader hardware and software ecosystem.
• Mood Media: Mood Media is a large, established provider of in-store media, digital signage, music, and scent solutions across multiple retail verticals. It is comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping in-store digital media capabilities, even though c-store retail media is not its sole focus.

Emerging players

• Grocery TV: Grocery TV runs a retail media network of in-store digital screens in grocery and convenience stores with advertising monetization. It is comparable as an emerging retail media network player targeting similar digital-screen-adjacent retailers, though with a grocery-leaning footprint.
• PlaceIQ: PlaceIQ provides location-based data and advertising technology used by retailers and brands for targeted marketing. It is comparable as an emerging data-driven adtech player relevant to Shep's audience targeting and attribution use cases, though not a direct c-store signage competitor.
• Adentro: Adentro operates a Wi-Fi-based retail media and marketing platform for brick-and-mortar retailers, providing footfall and shopper data monetization. It is an emerging player with partial overlap in connecting offline retail audiences to digital advertising, comparable to Shep's data-driven in-store monetization thesis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/shepdigital
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewsBreakNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shepdigital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Shep Digital Solutions