What Active International UK does

Active International UK is a corporate trade (media barter) intermediary that enables businesses to monetize excess inventory, products, and services by exchanging them for trade credits that fund media advertising spend. The UK subsidiary operates as part of Active Media Services, Inc., a privately held US parent incorporated in New York, with global operations across 10 countries (UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, and Spain). The UK entity traces its establishment to 1991 (the global parent operates from 1984) and serves over 150 UK corporate clients while working with over 200 UK media owners across TV, OOH, radio, digital, cinema, and publishing. Named enterprise clients include JML, Jet2holidays, Young's Seafood, Kraft Heinz, Kia, OVO Energy, O2, Perrigo, Frasers Group, Bloom & Wild, Celebrity Cruises, Imperial London Hotels, easyJet, Bella & Duke, Sharp Electronics, Reach plc, and Adam Handling, with several relationships spanning 15-22 years. Headcount is 43 personnel, headquartered at First Floor, 70 New Oxford Street, London (WC1A 1EU). The company has sustained consecutive recognition on Campaign UK's Best Places to Work list (2025 marks the eighth consecutive year) and holds Great Place To Work UK recognition for women and wellbeing.

The core Corporate Trade platform accepts client inventory and services at 1-3x traditional liquidation value, issues trade credits, and facilitates media exchanges through the media-owner network. The company operates two primary trading models: Guaranteed ROI (used for travel and hospitality clients, including Jet2holidays' 20% guaranteed sales return and Celebrity Cruises' campaign funding) and Marketing Solutions (focused on multiplying media spend using inventory). An in-house ABTA, IATA, and ATOL accredited travel agency supports travel and hospitality trades and generates incremental bookings revenue. Supporting capabilities include Asset Solutions (inventory monetization covering renewables, electric/hybrid vehicles, conferencing, business travel, and marketing), Media Solutions (media spend facilitation), and Programmatic Solutions (digital advertising trading). The company also maintains internal programmes including Active Wellness (employee wellbeing launched 2018), Youniversity (learning platform), Active Cares (volunteering with two paid days per year), and Active Clubhouse (partner community).

The business model is transaction-based, with revenue earned from margins on the trade value between client inventory and media delivered. Pricing is bespoke and negotiated per transaction, with multi-year contract structures. Distribution is exclusively direct B2B, with sales teams engaging procurement, finance, and marketing functions at enterprise clients. The company positions itself as complementary to existing media agencies rather than disruptive, integrating into existing planning and pricing processes. In 2024, Active International funded £160m of business costs for media owners and has cumulatively supported £30m+ of media purchases for JML since 2003, £10m+ for Young's Seafood over 15 years, £18m+ across House of Fraser/Frasers Group, and £10m+ for O2 over 7+ years. The company is privately held by Active Media Services, Inc. with no disclosed funding rounds or external investors.

Name

Active International UK

Legal name

Active Media Services, Inc.

Website

https://activeinternational.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Active International UK is a corporate trade intermediary that enables brands to convert excess inventory and services into media advertising spend via a trade credit system. It serves 150+ enterprise clients and 200+ media owners across the UK, including JML, Jet2holidays, Kia, and Young's Seafood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Trade / Media Barter Services

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Barter & Trade Media Buying (BPAFABAL)

Keywords

• Corporate trade services
• Media barter platform
• Trade credit financing
• Inventory monetization
• Media advertising solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Trade/Barter Fees: Active International generates revenue by acting as an intermediary marketplace between companies with excess inventory and media owners. They purchase client inventory at a multiple of market value using trade credits, then facilitate media exchanges. The company profits from the inbuilt margins in traded products and services.
2. Trade Credit Multipliers: Revenue is generated by providing clients with 1-3x multiple value on their traded inventory. Companies receive trade credits worth potentially up to three times more than if they traded through traditional liquidation channels.
3. Media Partnership Services: Fees earned from facilitating relationships between 150+ corporate clients and 200+ media owners across TV, OOH, Radio, Digital, Cinema and Publishing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Active International UK provides corporate trade (media barter) services that enable brands, agencies and media owners to exchange excess inventory, products and services for trade credits that fund media advertising spend. The company purchases client inventory at 1-3x multiples of traditional liquidation value, holds value in a Trade Credits system, and releases it as media is purchased across TV, OOH, radio, digital, cinema and publishing channels. An in-house ABTA/ATOL accredited travel agency extends the model to travel and hospitality inventory.

Product overview

Active International UK operates as a Corporate Trade (media barter) platform that enables brands, agencies, and media owners to unlock budget, reduce risk, and grow by changing how marketing is funded. The core platform consists of Corporate Trade services supported by three main solution areas: Asset Solutions, Media Solutions, and Programmatic Solutions. The company offers two primary trading models—Guaranteed ROI and Marketing Solutions—that allow clients to use their existing products, services, or assets to fund media advertising spend. An in-house ABTA and ATOL accredited Travel Agency supports travel and hospitality clients, while employee-facing platforms including Youniversity (learning), Active Wellness (wellbeing), and Active Cares (charitable volunteering) support internal operations. The company works with over 150 clients across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Trade

Quantifiable outcome

• £160m of business costs funded for media owners in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Alliance of Independent AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe alliance develops skills and represents the interests of independent marketing agencies engaging and supporting everyone in this thriving community.
• Hilco TradingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's largest remarketer of industrial assets operating on five continents through specialized asset disposition groups. Sells through on-site, webcast, online and sealed bid auctions as well as privately-negotiated sales across virtually every industry classification.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BizX: BizX runs a North American B2B trade exchange where members buy and sell goods/services using BizX dollars, with a strong focus on advertising and media. Directly comparable to Active — same barter-for-media model, same trade-credit economy, and similar focus on helping businesses fund marketing spend without cash.
• Bartercard: Bartercard operates a global B2B trade exchange allowing businesses to exchange goods and services for media, marketing, and other business costs. Directly competes with Active in the corporate trade/media barter category and serves overlapping verticals (travel, hospitality, retail) using the same fundamental "trade credits for spend" mechanic.
• ITEX Corporation: ITEX is a North American B2B trade exchange where members trade goods and services using ITEX dollars, including retail and media advertising. Closely comparable to Active's corporate trade platform — same intermediated barter model, same trade-credit unit of account, and overlapping client needs around monetizing excess inventory.
• Tradebank International: Tradebank operates a global B2B barter exchange facilitating trade of products and services between member businesses. Compares directly to Active's corporate trade mechanism — both monetize excess inventory and excess capacity through a trade-credit ledger and both target SME and enterprise clients looking to preserve cash.
• Active International (US parent): Active Media Services, Inc. operates the same Corporate Trade model as Active International UK but across the US and other geographies. It is the direct parent and the most directly comparable peer — same business model, same trade credits platform, same client verticals (FMCG, retail, travel), just different geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• MediaOcean: MediaOcean provides media-buying and ad-operations software used by agencies and advertisers to plan, buy, and optimize media across channels. Comparable as adjacent infrastructure for the media-trading market Active operates in, though MediaOcean is a technology platform rather than a barter/trade intermediary and serves agencies rather than corporate trade clients.
• Dentsu: Dentsu is a global media and advertising holding company offering media planning, buying, and trading at scale across all channels. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same media-trading ecosystem where Active operates, but Dentsu does not specialize in corporate trade/barter — it competes primarily through cash-based agency trading desks.

Others

• Hilco Trading: Hilco Trading is described in Active's data as a strategic partner and is the world's largest remarketer of industrial assets, disposing of excess inventory and equipment through auctions and negotiated sales. Comparable because it addresses the same upstream client pain point — monetizing excess inventory — though via liquidation rather than corporate trade.
• AlmondNet: AlmondNet is listed as a technology/integration partner of Active and is an industry pioneer in privacy-friendly targeted advertising. Comparable as an ecosystem participant in the same media/advertising value chain that Active serves, though AlmondNet operates in addressable advertising rather than corporate trade.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/active-international-uk

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Active International UK