active international
Active International is a private Corporate Trade platform, founded in 1984, that converts large enterprises' excess inventory and underperforming assets into advertising media credits (Trade Credit) through a 14-country global network, serving Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What active international does
Active International, legally Active Media Services, Inc., is a privately held Corporate Trade platform founded in 1984 in New York by Arthur Wagner and Allan Elkin. The company purchases excess corporate assets, slow-moving inventory, and underperforming assets from large enterprises at book value, remarkets them through a 14-country global network, and issues Trade Credit (T/C) that clients redeploy against advertising media also purchased by Active. Its two core solution lines are Asset Solutions (inventory and asset monetization) and Media Solutions (annual global media purchasing of more than $1.5 billion across print, outdoor, broadcast, and digital channels). Active reports serving more than 10,000 customer companies across multiple industries and claims penetration of over 70% of the Fortune 500. The company operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and South Korea (entered in 2011), with approximately 650 employees globally.
active international firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- active international
- Legal name
- Active Media Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://activeinternational.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Active International is a private Corporate Trade platform, founded in 1984, that converts large enterprises' excess inventory and underperforming assets into advertising media credits (Trade Credit) through a 14-country global network, serving Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where active international is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices11 records
Markets served
active international business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Corporate Trade Transactions: Revenue generated from buying excess corporate assets and inventory at book value and reselling them through global networks, providing Trade Credit for media purchases.
- Media Purchasing and Resale: Active purchases media directly from media companies and resells to clients through advertising agencies, earning margins on media inventory.
- Asset Solutions: Customized evaluation and remarketing of client assets and excess inventory, converting them to advertising budgets through the Trade Credit system.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise solutions based on client needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
active international product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active International purchases corporate excess inventory and underperforming assets at book value, then remarkets them through its global network across 14 countries. The transaction generates Trade Credit (T/C), a virtual currency that clients apply toward advertising media purchased through Active International's media buying services, effectively converting idle or slow-moving corporate assets into advertising budgets.
Product overview
Active International operates as a Corporate Trade platform with two primary solution lines — Asset Solutions and Media Solutions — supported by its proprietary Trade Credit (T/C) currency. Asset Solutions purchases client inventory and underperforming assets at book value and remarkets them through a global network spanning 14 countries, generating T/C that clients redeploy for advertising media purchased via Media Solutions. The company does not manufacture a standalone software product; its offering is a financial and logistics service combining asset remarketing with high-volume media buying, where the core value exchange is converting corporate assets into advertising budgets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- H Automobile sold 1,400 vehicles worth $25 million through Corporate Trade, avoided losses, and gained new distribution through major rental car company.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use active international
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
active international technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
active international partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KMA 한국능률협회 (Korean Standards Association)coreStrategic business cooperation MOU signed on November 14, 2016, where KMA provides customized free consulting to member companies for converting underperforming assets into revenue. KMA leverages Active International's expertise in corporate trading and asset monetization to benefit their member companies.
- AMS Growth PartnersminorActive International is identified as 'an ams company' with AMS Growth Partners shown as parent organization. AMS Growth Partners appears on the website footer.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
active international competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bartercard: Bartercard runs a global corporate barter exchange network that lets businesses trade unused inventory and capacity for goods and services from other members. It is the closest functional analogue to Active's Trade Credit model in scale and structure.
- ITEX Corporation: ITEX operates a B2B barter exchange network where member businesses trade goods and services they would otherwise have to discount or write off. Comparable mechanism to Active's corporate trade / Trade Credit value exchange between members.
- B-Stock Solutions: B-Stock runs B2B liquidation marketplaces where retailers and manufacturers offload excess inventory, returned merchandise, and overstock through private auction channels. Mirrors Active's asset-acquisition and remarketing flow at scale, with similar Fortune-500-retailer clientele.
Broad incumbents
- Liquidity Services: Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) is a larger, public asset remarketing platform specializing in surplus and salvage assets for government, industrial, and commercial clients. Overlaps with Active's Asset Solutions around wholesale asset liquidation but at greater scale and with a buyer-only orientation.
- GroupM: GroupM is the world's largest media-buying investment group (WPP), purchasing tens of billions of dollars of advertising inventory annually. Active's Media Solutions operates as a smaller, niche media buying operation alongside agencies like GroupM.
- IPG Mediabrands: IPG Mediabrands is a major global media-buying network handling media planning and buying for Fortune 500 advertisers. Overlaps with Active on the media-buying side, where Active serves as a non-competing channel partner to agencies.
- Publicis Media: Publicis Media is one of the top global media agency networks competing for Fortune 500 media-buying budgets. Comparable to Active on the buy-side of advertising inventory, but operates through agency relationships rather than corporate trade.
- Dentsu Media: Dentsu is a global advertising services and media-buying major with strong APAC presence including Japan and Korea. Geographic and APAC footprint aligns closely with Active's Korea and Australia entry points and broader media-buying capability.
Emerging players
- BizX: BizX runs a North-American-focused B2B barter and trade exchange network serving SMBs and mid-market clients. Operates the same fundamental trade-credit-instead-of-cash model as Active but at smaller scale.
Regional players
- Kiwibarter: Kiwibarter is a regional barter-exchange platform operating primarily in New Zealand. A smaller geographic analog of corporate barter, sharing the trade-credit value exchange with Active.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
active international social profiles
Digital presenceactive international financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
active international leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
active international subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
active international funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
active international 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 active international
What does active international do?
Active International purchases corporate excess inventory and underperforming assets at book value, then remarkets them through its global network across 14 countries. The transaction generates Trade Credit (T/C), a virtual currency that clients apply toward advertising media purchased through Active International's media buying services, effectively converting idle or slow-moving corporate assets into advertising budgets.
Is active international a public or private company?
active international is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was active international founded?
active international was founded in 1984.
Where is active international based?
active international is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does active international make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate Trade Transactions are the primary driver. The others are media Purchasing and Resale and asset Solutions.
Who are active international's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bartercard, ITEX Corporation and B-Stock Solutions. Broad incumbents are Liquidity Services, GroupM, IPG Mediabrands, Publicis Media and Dentsu Media. BizX is listed as an emerging player. Kiwibarter is listed as a regional player.
Does active international have an API?
No public API is recorded for active international.