IBO

Name

IBO

Legal name

IBO

Website

https://ibousa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ardmore

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, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SSP/Inventory Aggregation Services: IBO operates as a Supply Side Platform (SSP) that aggregates display inventory from member media owners and makes it available to brands and agencies. The cooperative model enables volume pricing and efficiency for campaign execution across the network.
2. Membership Fees: IBO charges membership fees to independent billboard operators (media owners) who join the cooperative network to access the IBO Speedway platform, marketing tools, and aggregated demand from brands and agencies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IBO operates a cooperative network of independent billboard operators and runs a cloud-based Supply-Side Platform (IBO Speedway) that aggregates OOH display inventory from member media owners for purchase by brands and agencies. The cooperative delivers supporting tools including the OOH TORQ admin data engine, the OOH CHARGER inventory management interface for media owners, and the IBO Community member portal, alongside biannual industry conferences and education programs.

Product overview

IBO is an out-of-home (OOH) advertising networking cooperative offering a platform architecture centered on IBO Speedway, their cloud-based SSP platform that pools member display inventory for brands and agencies. The ecosystem includes OOH TORQ (a Google Cloud-hosted data engine for validation and automation), OOH CHARGER (a media owner inventory management tool), IBO Community (a single sign-on member portal), and IBO SSP (aggregation service). The cooperative primarily serves billboard operators and media owners, enabling them to reach consumers through large-format roadside billboards and other OOH displays.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IBO Speedway: Centralized cloud adtech platform that allows members to include their display inventory for marketing efforts to fill needs of brands and agencies. Functions like an MLS for OOH inventory.
• IBO SSP
• TORQ
• OOH CHARGER

Products and services

• IBO Speedway Centralized cloud adtech platform functioning as a Supply-Side Platform (SSP), aggregating display inventory from member media owners and enabling brands and agencies to purchase OOH advertising through an MLS-like marketplace model.
• OOH TORQ Admin-facing data engine hosted on Google Cloud that provides tools to validate, streamline, and automate OOH operations across IBO's partner integrations, with inventory visualization and live-edit capabilities for media owners.
• OOH CHARGER Media owner interface tool accessible through IBO Community that allows members to prepare and manage their display inventory for the market, including verifying details, street views, and photos in live edit mode.
• IBO Community Single sign-on member portal providing access to group forum discussions, conference registration, webinars, educational resources, membership directory, and inventory CHARGER interface.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves millions of keystrokes annually for media owners and agencies through IBO Speedway platform
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AdQuickcoreTechnology or IntegrationAdQuick was introduced as a strategic partner at IBO's Spring 2024 conference. The partnership connects AdQuick's technology with IBO's platform to meet the needs of demanding brands and agencies. AdQuick focuses on efficiency and metrics, aligning with the IBO Speedway to drive brand satisfaction for placements. The Winners Circle program highlights displays that meet highest standards through this partnership.
• Media Rating Council (MRC)coreTechnology or IntegrationIBO is a member of the decades-old Media Rating Council. The MRC OOH Standard was published in April 2024, and IBO's Tech Endorsement Program requires services in traffic, mobile, and audience measurement areas to be audited and accredited by MRC to display the IBO endorsed logo. IBO endorsement allows companies to become sales channel partners, service providers, or data providers for IBO Associate Companies.
• OOH INFOcoreTechnology or IntegrationOOH INFO provides data services integrated with IBO's TORQ toolset. Partners include OOH INFO for data metrics including OTS impressions (based on OAAA Guidelines and MRC OOH Standard), traffic scoring via satellite AI, and consumer insights automatically calculated for each display.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationIBO's OOH TORQ data engine is hosted on Google Cloud. Google Analytics is used for web analytics on IBO websites. Google provides the cloud infrastructure supporting IBO's adtech platforms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Adomni: Programmatic DOOH buying platform that connects advertisers to digital OOH inventory via a self-serve marketplace. Comparable to IBO Speedway on focused programmatic OOH demand aggregation, though serving primarily the brand/agency demand side rather than the supply-side cooperative role.

Direct peers

• Broadsign: DOOH ad platform providing CMS, programmatic SSP capabilities (Broadsign Reach), and audience measurement tools to OOH media owners. Overlaps with IBO on supply-side technology, automation of OOH operations, and programmatic transaction enablement for independent OOH operators.
• Place Exchange: Programmatic OOH exchange that aggregates supply from multiple OOH media owners and connects them to the programmatic digital ad ecosystem. Directly comparable to IBO Speedway on aggregator-SSP role and standardized, validated inventory for brand/agency demand.
• Hivestack: Global programmatic DOOH supply-side and demand-side platform operating a marketplace that connects media owners with buyers. Comparable to IBO's cooperative SSP in inventory aggregation, programmatic transaction workflows, and brand/agency demand acquisition.
• Vistar Media: Programmatic SSP and adtech platform focused exclusively on Out-of-Home advertising, aggregating supply across DOOH networks and connecting it to DSPs for brand and agency buyers. It is the closest direct competitor to IBO's IBO Speedway / IBO SSP on product, target customers (media owners and agencies), and delivery mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• Lamar Advertising Company: One of the largest US outdoor advertising companies with a national billboard and digital OOH footprint plus an in-house programmatic platform. Comparable as a major aggregated OOH inventory source competing for the same brand/agency demand IBO serves through IBO Speedway.
• Outfront Media: Large publicly-traded US OOH media owner operating billboards, transit, and place-based advertising at scale. Comparable as a major aggregated inventory source in the US OOH market that competes for the same brand and agency demand, but it is an integrated media company rather than a member-driven cooperative platform.
• Clear Channel Outdoor: Global OOH media owner with extensive US billboard and digital OOH inventory, operating its own programmatic capabilities. Comparable as a large incumbent OOH supply source and a competing channel for the brand/agency budgets IBO's cooperative targets.

Others

• AdQuick: Strategic partner of IBO that operates an OOH buying platform for brands and agencies. Comparable as an OOH marketplace participant addressing the same buy-side pain points IBO targets, but positioned as a demand-side partner rather than a direct SSP competitor.
• Geopath: Non-profit OOH audience measurement organization providing audited circulation and audience data for US OOH. Comparable as a non-profit infrastructure provider supporting standardized, audited measurement for the US OOH industry that complements IBO's MRC-aligned measurement posture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/chris-cowlbeck-962b9296
• Xx.com/ibousasupport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 IBO