Phuzion Media
Phuzion Media is a London-based retail media technology company offering a mobile image-recognition platform that turns offline print media (catalogues, brochures, magazines) into shoppable, measurable experiences, serving major UK retailers and publishers including Tesco, Waitrose, Boots, and Marks & Spencer. Acquired by Topsort in October 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Phuzion Media does
Phuzion Media is a UK-based retail media technology company that developed a mobile image recognition platform designed to make physical offline retail media — catalogues, brochures, magazines, and in-store displays — shoppable and measurable. The proprietary computer vision technology identifies products in printed media via a smartphone camera and routes users directly to online product pages, requiring no QR codes, watermarks, fingerprinting, or modifications to existing print creative. The platform is deployed via in-app integration or a Progressive Web App (PWA) and is built to convert anonymous offline shoppers into known 1st-party audiences while providing closed-loop attribution reporting across the full marketing funnel.
The company served a concentrated set of major UK enterprise customers, including retailers Tesco, Waitrose, Boots, Marks & Spencer, Very, Argos, and Cotton Traders, alongside publishing partners such as Bauer Media, Mail Metro Media, Hearst, The Sun, and Daily Mail. Its business model combines recurring platform licensing/subscription revenue with transaction fees derived from enabling retailers to sell direct-response print display advertising inventory. Go-to-market was an enterprise field sales motion targeting retailer media teams and agencies, supplemented by strategic partnerships with Criteo, Brandcrush, and Eye to Eye Media to extend distribution.
Phuzion Media was co-founded by Stefano Biondi (CEO) and Guy Higton (CCO) in London, operated with a small team (1–10 employees including director-level partners Jude Secombe, Julian Linley, and Harbir Guram plus board advisors Alan Brydon and Emma Scott), and operated solely in the UK. On 14 October 2025, Phuzion Media was acquired in its entirety by Topsort, a Silicon Valley-headquartered AI and auction-based retail media infrastructure company, marking Topsort's first acquisition and its formal entry into the UK market. Co-founder Stefano Biondi was appointed General Manager UK at Topsort to lead UK expansion post-acquisition.
Phuzion Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phuzion Media
- Legal name
- Phuzion Media UK Ltd
- Website
- https://phuzion.media
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Phuzion Media is a London-based retail media technology company offering a mobile image-recognition platform that turns offline print media (catalogues, brochures, magazines) into shoppable, measurable experiences, serving major UK retailers and publishers including Tesco, Waitrose, Boots, and Marks & Spencer. Acquired by Topsort in October 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Phuzion Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Media Technology
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Representatives (54184)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ad Insertion & Monetization (SCTE-35, DAI/SSAI) (MPAHAKAH)
Keywords
Where Phuzion Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Phuzion Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Media Technology Platform: Provides retailers with image recognition technology to make their print media shoppable and measurable. Revenue derived from platform licensing and technology fees.
- Direct Response Enabled Print Display Ad Inventory: Enables retailers to sell direct response enabled print display advertising inventory, monetizing their offline media assets through measurable ad placements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Phuzion Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phuzion Media provides a mobile image recognition platform that makes physical offline retail media (printed catalogues, brochures, in-store displays, and magazines) shoppable and measurable. The technology enables retailers and publishers to convert anonymous offline shoppers into known first-party audiences, attribute offline media exposure to digital outcomes, and sell direct-response enabled print advertising inventory without requiring QR codes, watermarks, fingerprinting, or changes to existing creative.
Product overview
Phuzion Media is a single-product retail media technology company offering a unified image recognition platform that makes physical offline media shoppable. The core platform combines Mobile Image Recognition, Shoppable Print capabilities, and Direct Response-Enabled Print Display Ad Inventory into one integrated system. Deployment is available via in-app integration or Progressive Web App (PWA), enabling personalized mobile journeys from offline creative without requiring QR codes, watermarks, or app downloads. The platform provides full funnel closed-loop reporting including offline media attribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Phuzion Media Image Recognition Platform The core retail media technology platform that uses mobile image recognition to make physical offline media shoppable. It enables retailers to capture first-party sales data from offline media, turn anonymous shoppers into known audiences, and provide closed-loop attribution reporting across the full funnel.
- Shoppable Print Image recognition-enabled printed retail media that connects physical print to omnichannel digital capabilities. Customers scan a QR code once to activate image recognition, then photograph any product in the print to be directed straight to the product page online.
- Direct Response-Enabled Print Display Ad Inventory Retail media advertising inventory that allows retailers to sell direct-response enabled print display advertising, enabling measurable engagement and attribution from offline media placements.
Companies that use Phuzion Media
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Phuzion Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
Phuzion Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- TopsortcoreTopsort, a Silicon Valley AI and auction-based retail media infrastructure company, acquired Phuzion Media as its first-ever acquisition. Stefano Biondi, co-founder of Phuzion Media, was appointed as General Manager UK at Topsort to lead UK expansion. The acquisition marks Topsort's formal entry into the UK market, leveraging Phuzion's client relationships with Tesco, Waitrose, Boots, Marks & Spencer, Very, and Argos.
- Eye to Eye MediacoreEye to Eye Media, the agency producing award-winning content for Waitrose, partnered with Phuzion Media to make the Waitrose Christmas food brochure shoppable using proprietary image recognition technology. All pages in the brochure became shoppable and direct-response enabled.
- CriteoflagshipCriteo partnered with Phuzion Media and Brandcrush to make offline retail media shoppable. The partnership connects online and offline channels using Phuzion's image recognition technology alongside Criteo's commerce media platform.
- Arleigh GroupminorPhuzion Media partnered with Arleigh Group to make marine industry catalogue shoppable using image recognition technology, extending the platform beyond retail into specialist publishing sectors.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Phuzion Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pinterest: Pinterest runs a visual discovery and shopping platform with built-in product recognition and shoppable pins that connect visual inspiration to commerce. It is comparable to Phuzion for using image-based recognition to drive shopping journeys from a visual surface.
- Snap: Snap operates a major AR and visual shopping platform via Snapchat, including Scan and AR Try-On features that turn visual recognition into commerce outcomes. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Phuzion for image recognition-driven shopping experiences in consumer media.
- Criteo: Criteo is a global commerce media platform that monetises retailer audiences across online and now offline channels. It is a Phuzion integration partner and the closest broad incumbent in retail media, comparable because it sells ad inventory and attribution to the same enterprise retailers Phuzion serves.
Direct peers
- Trax: Trax is a computer vision platform for retail that turns in-store shelf images into measurable retail execution and shopper insights. It is comparable to Phuzion for applying image recognition to physical retail touchpoints and converting offline activity into data.
- Planorama: Planorama applies computer vision and image recognition to retail execution, including shelf and printed media recognition for CPG brands and retailers. It is comparable to Phuzion for its image recognition layer applied to offline retail touchpoints and shopper data capture.
- Kevel: Kevel provides API-driven retail media infrastructure that lets retailers build their own ad servers and monetise first-party audiences. It is comparable to Phuzion for serving the retail media network layer with focus on first-party data and advertiser self-service.
- Cortexica: Cortexica provides visual AI and image recognition for retail and brand use cases, including product recognition in real-world settings. It is comparable to Phuzion for its visual product identification layer serving retail media and shopper engagement.
- CitrusAd: CitrusAd operates an on-site and off-site retail media platform used by grocers and mass merchants to monetise shopper audiences. It is comparable to Phuzion as a retail media infrastructure vendor enabling retailers to sell measurable ad inventory to advertisers.
- CurbTag: CurbTag is a direct peer that uses image recognition and QR/NFC hybrid technology to make printed retail media shoppable. It is highly comparable to Phuzion because it addresses the same offline-to-online attribution gap for catalogues and print advertising.
Emerging players
- Cooler Screens: Cooler Screens turns in-store retail surfaces (cooler doors) into digital, measurable media screens. It is comparable to Phuzion for converting a physical retail touchpoint into a measurable, monetisable ad impression in the same retail media category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Phuzion Media social profiles
Digital presencePhuzion Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phuzion Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Phuzion Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Phuzion Media 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 Phuzion Media
What does Phuzion Media do?
Phuzion Media provides a mobile image recognition platform that makes physical offline retail media (printed catalogues, brochures, in-store displays, and magazines) shoppable and measurable. The technology enables retailers and publishers to convert anonymous offline shoppers into known first-party audiences, attribute offline media exposure to digital outcomes, and sell direct-response enabled print advertising inventory without requiring QR codes, watermarks, fingerprinting, or changes to existing creative.
Is Phuzion Media a public or private company?
Phuzion Media is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Phuzion Media founded?
Phuzion Media was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Phuzion Media based?
Phuzion Media is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Phuzion Media make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Media Technology Platform is the primary driver. The others are direct Response Enabled Print Display Ad Inventory.
Who are Phuzion Media's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pinterest, Snap and Criteo. Direct peers are Trax, Planorama, Kevel, Cortexica, CitrusAd and CurbTag. Cooler Screens is listed as an emerging player.
Does Phuzion Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phuzion Media.
What industry is Phuzion Media in?
Phuzion Media's product category is Retail Media Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAKAH, Ad Insertion & Monetization (SCTE-35, DAI/SSAI). Its NAICS code is 54183 and its SIC code is 7310.