Headwave
Headwave is a B2B digital audio advertising agency that plans, executes, and optimizes podcast and digital audio campaigns for brands, offering end-to-end services from creative development to analytics with AI-enabled creative optimization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Headwave does
Headwave is a private B2B digital audio advertising agency founded in 2021 that creates and manages podcast and digital audio campaigns for brands and advertisers. Rather than operating as a generalist media agency, the company positions itself as a specialist in digital audio with claims of cross-platform targeting across leading audio platforms and popular podcasts, supported by access to thousands of local creators and global influencers. The primary customer segment is horizontal: brands seeking reach and engagement through digital audio channels rather than traditional display or search advertising.
Headwave firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Headwave
- Legal name
- Headwave
- Website
- https://headwave.co/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Headwave is a B2B digital audio advertising agency that plans, executes, and optimizes podcast and digital audio campaigns for brands, offering end-to-end services from creative development to analytics with AI-enabled creative optimization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Headwave industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Audio Advertising Services
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)
Keywords
Headwave business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Digital Audio Advertising Services: Full-service agency providing digital audio advertising including campaign planning, creative development, targeting, optimization, and analytics. Revenue generated through professional service fees for managing and executing audio advertising campaigns across platforms.
- Advertising Creative Services: Creation and delivery of audio ads including dynamic creative optimisation, host reads, sponsorships, branded episodes, and special executions. Revenue model based on creative production fees and media buying commissions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Headwave product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Headwave is a B2B digital audio advertising agency that plans, buys, and optimizes podcast and digital audio advertising campaigns for brands and agencies. The agency delivers end-to-end campaign services spanning strategy, media buying, creative production, and reporting across global markets.
Product overview
Headwave is a specialized digital audio media agency offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around podcast and digital audio advertising. The core offering includes campaign planning, creative development, targeting, optimization, and analytics services. The product portfolio encompasses Dynamic Creative Optimisation, Host Reads, Sponsorships, Branded Episodes, Custom Podcast Creation, and Special Executions—all unified under Headwave's audio advertising platform to help brands win customers through targeted podcast and digital audio campaigns across the entire digital audio ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Audio Advertising Services
Companies that use Headwave
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Headwave technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Headwave partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Headwave competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Acast: Global podcast hosting and advertising platform that connects brands with podcast creators and offers programmatic and host-read audio advertising. Directly comparable to Headwave as a B2B audio advertising marketplace serving brands and advertisers with podcast inventory and targeting.
- Audioboom: Podcast hosting and ad-insertion platform serving creators and advertisers with dynamic ad serving and brand sponsorships across podcasts. Comparable to Headwave as a podcast-focused advertising intermediary enabling brand campaigns across creator inventory.
- Magellan AI: Podcast advertising analytics and intelligence platform providing market data, competitive share, and campaign measurement for brands and agencies buying podcast ads. Comparable as a specialist serving the same brand/agency buyers in podcast audio advertising, focused on the analytics layer Headwave also markets.
- Podscribe: Podcast advertising attribution and analytics platform enabling brands and agencies to measure ROI on podcast campaigns. Directly comparable as a specialist serving brand/agency podcast ad buyers, overlapping with Headwave's analytics and campaign optimization positioning.
- Oxford Road / AdResults: Specialized audio advertising agency focused on podcast and radio ad buying, creative, and media planning for direct-to-consumer brands. Comparable as a directly competing specialized audio ad agency targeting brand advertisers with similar end-to-end audio campaign services.
Broad incumbents
- Spotify Ad Studio: Spotify's self-serve and managed audio advertising platform for brands buying across music streaming, podcasts, and video. Comparable as a competing channel for digital audio ad spend, though Spotify is also a key inventory source for agencies like Headwave — represents both a partner and a competitive threat.
- iHeartMedia Advertising: Large-scale audio media company offering radio, podcast, and digital audio ad inventory and campaign services to brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering the same end-to-end audio campaign services Headwave provides, with significantly greater reach and resources.
- Tremor International (now Nexxen): Programmatic advertising technology company offering end-to-end CTV, video, and audio demand-side capabilities to brands and agencies. Comparable as a broader ad-tech incumbent with digital audio capabilities competing for the same brand-advertiser budgets Headwave targets.
- SiriusXM Media: Audio advertising sales arm of SiriusXM offering digital audio, podcast, and streaming audio ad inventory and campaign services to brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering the same digital audio campaign services to advertisers with much greater inventory scale.
Others
- Sounds Profitable: Podcast advertising industry research, newsletter, and community resource covering podcast ad buying, measurement, and trends. Comparable as an ecosystem participant serving the same brand/agency buyers in the podcast advertising space, though operating in content/research rather than campaign execution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Headwave financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Headwave leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Headwave funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Headwave 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 Headwave
What does Headwave do?
Headwave is a B2B digital audio advertising agency that plans, buys, and optimizes podcast and digital audio advertising campaigns for brands and agencies. The agency delivers end-to-end campaign services spanning strategy, media buying, creative production, and reporting across global markets.
Is Headwave a public or private company?
Headwave is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Headwave founded?
Headwave was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Headwave make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Digital Audio Advertising Services are the primary driver. The others are advertising Creative Services.
Who are Headwave's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Acast, Audioboom, Magellan AI, Podscribe and Oxford Road / AdResults. Broad incumbents are Spotify Ad Studio, iHeartMedia Advertising, Tremor International (now Nexxen) and SiriusXM Media. Sounds Profitable is listed as an others.
Does Headwave have an API?
No public API is recorded for Headwave.
What industry is Headwave in?
Headwave's product category is Digital Audio Advertising Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAKAA, B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies. Its SIC code is 7311.