PK4 Media

What PK4 Media does

PK4 Media, Inc. is a privately held, bootstrapped omni-channel media company founded in 2009 by Tom Alexander and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company operates a proprietary technology platform called XPS, described as a single unified stack that controls display and video ad management, optimization, and reporting across eight digital distribution channels: Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, CTV, VOD, In-Mall, In-Theater, and Digital-Out-of-Home. PK4 sells to three customer segments — brand advertisers (both enterprise and challenger), media agencies, and publishers/platforms — through direct sales field coverage and agency-channel reselling. Its revenue model is primarily advertising-based, with CPM/CPC, CPA, and a differentiated Cost Per Brand Percentage Lift model tied to Nielsen-measured brand outcomes. Multi-year outcome-based contracts and shorter usage-based publisher monetization terms coexist in the revenue mix.

The platform is extended through several integrated modules: TruEngage (acquired from Are You a Human in 2017), the first interactive video pre-roll overlay technology guaranteeing 100% viewable, human-verified interactions; XPS Direct (2015), a self-service programmatic direct portal for audience-segmented premium inventory; Bishop Video Platform (acquired via JSFour in 2012), a patent-pending publisher video distribution stack; and Omni-Channel Weather Targeting (2017), which targets campaigns based on 12 real-time weather conditions. Rotational Wallpaper and homepage takeovers round out the high-impact display product surface. The company claims direct-to-publisher integrations that bypass RTB and exchange inventory, combined with third-party site-level monitoring for brand safety, fraud defense, and viewability verification.

Customer logos include Ford, Lexus, Popchips, Bacardi, Esurance, KitchenAid, Activision, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, ABC, NBC, Amazon, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and Virgin America, with reported client retention of 93%. PK4 has been founder-financed throughout its history, completing three acquisitions (JSFour 2012, Prosperio 2014, TruEngage 2017) and accumulating more than 15 industry awards including Inc. 500/5000 rankings, Forbes America's Most Promising Companies, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, and Digiday Video Awards recognition. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 band with a 2018 third-party reference at approximately 10 employees, and the company's stated market is United States only.

Name

PK4 Media

Legal name

PK4 Media, Inc.

Website

https://pk4media.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PK4 Media is a privately held, bootstrapped omni-channel media company operating its proprietary XPS platform to run display and video advertising across eight digital channels for enterprise brand advertisers, agencies, and publishers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Omni-Channel Digital Advertising Platform

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Ad Insertion & Monetization (SCTE-35, DAI/SSAI) (MPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Omni-channel advertising
• Digital media buying
• Programmatic video ads
• Brand advertising platform
• Publisher monetization

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising (CPM/CPC): Charges advertisers on a per-impression (CPM) or per-click (CPC) basis for display and video advertising across the PK4 Media Network.
2. Digital Advertising (CPA): Cost Per Acquisition campaigns where advertisers pay for each submission/conversion. Tracking via placement of tracking pixel on advertiser's confirmation page or through Ad Code/Unique URLs.
3. Cost Per Brand Percentage Lift: Unique pricing model offered through publisher integrations and Omni-Channel approach, measuring brand lift outcomes for advertisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PK4 Media operates as the advertising industry's first Omni-Channel Media Company, providing digital advertising campaign management, media buying, and publisher monetization through its proprietary XPS platform. The company runs display, video, native, and custom creative ad campaigns across eight digital screens (Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, CTV, VOD, In-Mall, In-Theater, and DOOH) for enterprise brands and agencies, and supplies publishers with monetization tools through the PK4 Media Network.

Product overview

PK4 Media is an omni-channel media company that operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is the proprietary XPS technology platform, which serves as a unified technology stack controlling display and video ad management, optimization, and reporting across all digital channels. Supporting modules include TruEngage for interactive video pre-roll engagement, XPS Direct for programmatic direct self-service buying, Bishop Video Platform (acquired) for publisher video monetization, and High Impact Placements (HIP) suite featuring Rotational Wallpaper and homepage takeovers. The company serves ads across eight digital channels: Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, CTV, VOD, In-Mall, In-Theater, and Digital-Out-of-Home.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• XPS: Proprietary omni-channel technology platform that combines OLV, OTT and DOOH with other digital screens for campaign management, optimization and reporting across all digital distribution channels including Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, CTV, VOD, In-Mall, In-Theater and DOOH.
• TruEngage

Products and services

• XPS XPS is PK4 Media's proprietary omni-channel technology platform, a single unified technology stack that controls every aspect of a campaign — display and video ad management, optimization, real-time reporting, and audience segmentation — across Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, CTV, VOD, In-Mall, In-Theater, and Digital-Out-of-Home screens. It is used by brand advertisers and media agencies to run omni-channel campaigns with cross-screen frequency capping and sequential messaging.
• TruEngage TruEngage is an interactive engagement-based video technology that places customizable overlays on top of video pre-roll ads, guaranteeing 100% viewable and human-verified interactions. It was acquired in 2017 from Are You a Human and is sold to brand advertisers as a differentiated interactive video pre-roll unit, exemplified by the 468% brand-lift result on the KitchenAid Mini-Mixer campaign measured by Nielsen.
• XPS Direct XPS Direct is a self-service programmatic direct platform that provides advertisers and agencies streamlined access to audience-segmented premium inventory, letting them build target audience profiles and run display and video advertising campaigns directly. It is sold to advertisers and agencies that want simpler, more transparent programmatic buying of premium inventory.
• Bishop Video Platform Bishop Video Platform is a patent-pending video distribution platform for publishers and advertisers seeking to incorporate video on their sites. It combines a free ad-supported video player, a premium content library, and a digital ad/content distribution network. It is offered to publishers and advertisers that want to add video to their website or marketing mix, and has featured content partnerships such as Newsy's ~200 news videos per week.

Quantifiable outcome

• 468% increase in brand lift for purchase intent (KitchenAid Mini-Mixer campaign, Nielsen)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers18 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SZENTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2018SZENT, a new beverage company reinventing the flavor experience, named PK4 Media its U.S. media agency of record. Partnership launched with a campaign targeting Millennials using PK4's proprietary omni-channel technology to create greater relevancy and provide a seamless customer journey across multiple digital channels including desktop, mobile, tablet, connected TV, social media, DOOH and branded content integration.
• PopchipscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018Popchips awarded its US media business to PK4 Media after a review in which incumbent Palisades did not participate. PK4 Media tasked with connecting the brand's messaging across the consumer path to purchase including desktop, mobile, tablet, connected TV, social media and Amazon. Launched with popchips' 'Enjoy More' advertising campaign.
• Hopper Bus San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2018Hopper Bus San Diego named PK4 Media its agency of record for launching new luxury double-decker bus tour service. PK4 will manage display, video, social, and search for the brand's launch campaign, utilizing TruEngage technology for the launch.
• Original ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2017Emmy Award-winning Original Productions (producers of Deadliest Catch and Jay Leno's Garage) collaborated with PK4 Media on the launch of new series 'Bushcraft Build-Off' on Discovery Channel. Leveraged PK4's TruEngage technology to target reality show viewers and drive tune-in for premiere.
• American Media Inc. (AMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2017Industry-first collaboration to create custom content solutions for marketers. Partnership combines AMI's Branded Content Studio with PK4's proprietary omni-channel platform to deliver new content solutions designed to engage consumers with clients' products, brands and services.
• Are You a Human (TruEngage acquisition)coreTechnology or Integration · 6 March 2017PK4 Media acquired leading engagement-based video platform TruEngage from Are You a Human. By combining current offerings with TruEngage's engagement technology, PK4 continued to generate success for clients while raising industry standards for engagement-based video advertising.
• JSFour Media and TechnologycoreTechnology or Integration · 12 January 2012PK4 Media acquired JSFour, a media and technology company. JSFour founder Jimi Smoot joined PK4 Media as VP of Product Development. The two companies had been collaborating to develop the advanced Bishop Video Platform.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Innovid: Innovid is an independent ad-tech company focused on CTV and video ad delivery, measurement, and interactive creative — directly comparable to PK4's TruEngage interactive pre-roll and CTV/OTT capabilities within XPS.
• Magnite: Magnite (formed from the Rubicon Project–Telaria merger) operates the largest independent CTV and video SSP, directly comparable to PK4's omni-channel inventory monetization across OTT, CTV, and DOOH.
• Basis Technologies (Centro): Basis Technologies, built on Centro's programmatic heritage, is an enterprise ad platform that consolidates omnichannel media buying and workflow — closely aligned with PK4's omnichannel platform-plus-agency value proposition.
• MediaMath: MediaMath is an independent programmatic ad-buying platform that, like PK4, has historically positioned around direct-to-publisher supply and transparency rather than exchange inventory, serving brand advertisers across digital channels.
• The Trade Desk: The Trade Desk is a leading independent demand-side platform for omni-channel programmatic advertising across CTV, video, display, audio, and DOOH. It is the closest large-scale comparable to PK4's XPS-based omni-channel media-buying model and competes head-to-head for the same brand budgets.
• Viant Technology: Viant operates a people-based, omnichannel DSP with a focus on CTV and household-level targeting — comparable to PK4's omni-channel XPS platform serving direct-to-publisher inventory across screens.
• StackAdapt: StackAdapt is a multi-channel programmatic advertising platform covering native, display, video, CTV, and DOOH — comparable to PK4's omni-channel XPS stack in both channel breadth and mid-market/enterprise advertiser focus.
• Amobee: Amobee is a multi-screen digital advertising platform spanning CTV, programmatic, and social, owned by Singtel's INCA. It competes directly with PK4 for omni-channel advertiser RFPs across premium video and DOOH inventory.
• PubMatic: PubMatic is a programmatic publisher monetization platform offering supply-path optimization across display, video, mobile, and CTV — a direct functional peer to PK4's PK4 Media Network publisher integrations.

Broad incumbents

• Yahoo (Yahoo Ad Tech): Yahoo's ad-tech stack (formerly Verizon Media / Oath) offers broad omnichannel programmatic and native advertising capabilities that overlap with PK4's portfolio but as part of a much larger owned-and-operated media and search inventory footprint.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pk4media
• Facebookfacebook.com/pk4media
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pk4-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about PK4 Media