{{Short description|American ad exchange DSP}} {{Infobox company | name = The Trade Desk, Inc. | logo = File:The Trade Desk.svg | type = Public | traded_as = {{ubl|class=nowrap|{{NASDAQ|TTD}} (Class A)|S&P 500 component}} | industry = {{ubl|Digital marketing|Online advertising|Software|SaaS}} | founders = {{ubl|Jeff Green|Dave Pickles}} | key_people = {{ubl|Jeff Green (CEO) | Dave Pickles (CTO)}} | products = {{ubl|Digital advertising|media buying}} | revenue = {{increase}} {{US$|2.44 billion|link=yes}} (2024) | operating_income = {{nowrap|{{increase}} US$427 million (2024)}} | net_income = {{nowrap|{{increase}} US$393 million (2024)}} | assets = {{increase}} US$6.11 billion (2024) | equity = {{increase}} US$2.95 billion (2024) | num_employees = 3,900<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiff |first=Allison |date=2025-12-17 |title=The Trade Desk Lays Off Staff One Year After Its Last Major Reorg |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/platforms/the-trade-desk-lays-off-staff-one-year-after-its-last-major-reorg/ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=AdExchanger}}</ref> | num_employees_year = 2025 | founded = {{Start date and age|2009}} | hq_location = Ventura, California,<br/>United States | num_locations = 30+<ref name=locat/> | num_locations_year = 2026 | website = {{URL|thetradedesk.com}} | footnotes = <ref name=AnnualR2024>{{cite web|title=The Trade Desk, Inc. 2024 Annual Report (Form 10-K) |url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001671933/000167193325000029/ttd-20241231.htm |publisher=SEC|date=February 21, 2025}}</ref> }}
'''The Trade Desk, Inc.''' ('''TTD''') is an American multinational technology company that produces and services programmatic marketing automation with personalized real-time digital content. Headquartered in Ventura, California, it is the largest independent demand-side platform (DSP) in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vargas |first=Anthony |date=2025-11-18 |title=Omnicom Allegedly Pivoted A Chunk Of Its Q3 Spend From The Trade Desk To Amazon |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/platforms/omnicom-allegedly-pivoted-a-chunk-of-its-q3-spend-from-the-trade-desk-to-amazon/ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=AdExchanger}}</ref> TTD operates with over 400 partners<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=The Trade Desk launches Kokai, a media buying platform |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/business/brandwagon-the-trade-desk-launches-kokai-a-media-buying-platform-3119876/ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=The Financial Express}}</ref> at more than 30 locations worldwide.<ref name=locat>{{Cite web|title=Office Locations {{!}} The Trade Desk|url=https://www.thetradedesk.com/us/office-locations|access-date=2023-02-15|website=www.thetradedesk.com}}</ref>
==Overview== TTD operates an omnichannel platform with data analytics capabilities and support, online platforms, media formats,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-17 |title=Open internet gets 50% of eyeballs, yet just 15% of ad spend: Tejinder Gill, Trade Desk - Exchange4media |url=https://www.exchange4media.com/digital-news/open-internet-gets-50-of-eyeballs-yet-just-15-of-ad-spend-tejinder-gill-trade-desk-150313.html |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bahirat |first=Tanuja |title=I Reviewed the 7 Best Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) for 2025 |url=https://learn.g2.com/best-demand-side-platforms |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=learn.g2.com }}</ref> enterprise APIs, and self-service publishing for brands and advertisers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clinch Marks Industry Milestone as the First Client-Side Ad Server to Integrate Unified ID 2.0 {{!}} Clinch |url=https://www.clinch.co/news/the-trade-desk-uid2 |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=www.clinch.co}}</ref> Competing with Google, Facebook Ads, and others,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vargas |first=Anthony |date=2025-11-18 |title=Omnicom Allegedly Pivoted A Chunk Of Its Q3 Spend From The Trade Desk To Amazon |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/platforms/omnicom-allegedly-pivoted-a-chunk-of-its-q3-spend-from-the-trade-desk-to-amazon/ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=AdExchanger}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sparks |first=Daniel |title=The Trade Desk Announces Audience Unlimited: What You Need to Know |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/the-trade-desk-announces-audience-unlimited-what-you-need-to-know/ar-AA1NEhFJ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref> its personalized ad content is utilized by Disney, NBCU, Roku, Walmart<ref>{{Cite web |last=AOL |date=2025-10-29 |title=1 Excellent Growth Stock Down 54% to Buy Before 2026 |url=https://www.aol.com/articles/1-excellent-growth-stock-down-001500218.html |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=www.aol.com }}</ref> and Spotify.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Trade Desk Partners with Spotify and More for Audio Programmatic – Lovely Mobile News|url=https://lovelymobile.news/the-trade-desk-partners-with-spotify-and-more-for-audio-programmatic/|access-date=2022-02-16}}</ref>
==History== ===Founding - IPO, 2009-2015=== The Trade Desk was co-founded in 2009 by Jeff Green and David Pickles.<ref name="bloomberg.com">{{cite news|author=Tom Metcalf|date=31 August 2018|title=Ad Man Inspired by Goldman Becomes a Billionaire|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-31/ad-man-inspired-by-goldman-becomes-billionaire-with-trade-desk|access-date=19 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="Chowdhry">{{cite web|last=Chowdhry|first=Amit|title=How Jeff Green Took The Trade Desk From A Simple Idea To A Programmatic Ad Giant|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2017/12/12/how-jeff-green-took-the-trade-desk-from-a-simple-idea-to-a-programmatic-ad-giant/#275127f11da4|website=Forbes|access-date=19 September 2018}}</ref> They met at Microsoft, after its acquisition of Green's real-time digital advertising auction firm, AdECN, in 2007.<ref name="Chowdhry" /><ref name="VCstar">{{Cite web|last=Martinez|first=Arlene|date=July 21, 2019|title=Ventura's The Trade Desk returns to where it all started|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/ventura/2019/07/21/ventura-county-the-trade-desk/1740734001/|access-date=2019-07-22|website=Ventura County Star|language=en}}</ref>
In 2012, the company was included as a key partner in Facebook's launch of the real-time bidding (RTB) advertising platform, Facebook Exchange.<ref name="Nasdaq">{{cite web|date=November 8, 2016|title=The Trade Desk Inc. (TTD), Interview with Jeff Green, CEO|url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/trade-desk-inc-ttd-interview-jeff-green-ceo-2016-11-08|website=Nasdaq|access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref>
In 2015, The Trade Desk was named among the top 10 of America's Most Promising Companies by ''Forbes''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Trade Desk - 2015-09-25 - America’s Most Promising Companies: The Top 20 Of 2015 |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fkmm45mgkj/the-trade-desk/ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=Forbes}}</ref> Founders Green and Pickles were also named as Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of The Year 2015 in the Greater Los Angeles region.<ref name="Nasdaq" /><ref name="SEC2018">{{Cite web|date=February 22, 2019|title=The Trade Desk, Inc.|url=http://investors.thetradedesk.com/node/8911/html#ITEM_1_BUSINESS|access-date=2019-11-20|website=SEC|language=en}}</ref>
=== Public company, 2016–present === On September 21, 2016, The Trade Desk became a public company.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Trade Desk CEO hopes IPO will rebuild 'trust' between ad tech companies and Wall Street |url=http://finance.yahoo.com:80/news/trade-desk-ceo-hopes-ipo-175611354.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20170521114232/http://finance.yahoo.com:80/news/trade-desk-ceo-hopes-ipo-175611354.html |archive-date=2017-05-21 |access-date=2026-02-27}}</ref> The company reached a market cap of US$40 billion by 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shields |first=Ronan |date=2022-05-11 |title=The Trade Desk weathers Q1 headwinds with $315 million in revenues marking a 43% increase |url=https://digiday.com/media/the-trade-desk-weathers-q1-headwinds-with-315-million-in-revenues-marking-a-43-increase/ |access-date=2026-02-27 |website=Digiday}}</ref>
The Trade Desk integrated connected TV buying and measurement directly into its platform in 2017;<ref name="Heine">{{cite news|last1=Heine|first1=Christopher|date=September 21, 2017|title=The Trade Desk's New Product Helps Advertisers Reach Consumers on TV and Digital|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/the-trade-desks-new-product-helps-advertisers-reach-consumers-on-tv-and-digital/|access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref> acquired marketing insights firm AdBrain.<ref>{{cite news|date=October 25, 2017|title=The Trade Desk acquires the assets of Adbrain Ltd|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-the-trade-desk-acquires-the-assets/brief-the-trade-desk-acquires-the-assets-of-adbrain-ltd-idUSASB0BOLC|access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Shields|first1=Ronan|date=September 1, 2017|title=The Trade Desk and White Ops ink deal to block fraudulent traffic before it is bought|publisher=The Drum|url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/09/01/the-trade-desk-and-white-ops-ink-deal-block-fraudulent-traffic-it-bought|access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref> The firm also improved transparency in programmatic buying by enabling buyers to see all selling or reselling parties to a bid request.<ref name="AdEx">{{cite web|date=July 22, 2019|title=Trade Desk Clashes With Google Over Transparency Initiative|url=https://adexchanger.com/platforms/trade-desk-clashes-with-google-over-transparency-initiative/|website=AdExchange|access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref>
In 2018, the firm launched its programmatic ad buying platform in China, which provides partnership access between marketers and Chinese media companies, such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu Exchange Services.<ref name="CNBC1" /><ref name="TheStreet">{{cite news|last1=Jhonsa|first1=Eric|date=March 26, 2019|title=The Trade Desk Remains a Pretty Unique Story – Tech Check|work=The Street|url=https://realmoney.thestreet.com/investing/technology/markets-response-to-samsung-earnings-tech-check-14907530|access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref> It also launched new AI tools: an AI forecasting engine named Koa, a new user interface, new tools for mapping strategies called The Trade Desk Planner, and a proprietary global user identity resolution tool called Unified ID.<ref name="Adweek">{{cite news|last1=Shields|first1=Ronan|date=May 21, 2019|title=How The Trade Desk Is Integrating With Prebid to Boost Its Unified ID|url=https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/how-the-trade-desk-is-integrating-with-prebid-to-boost-its-unified-id/|access-date=November 18, 2018}}</ref>
In 2019, Amazon opened connected TV (CTV) Apps integrated with Amazon Publisher Services, enabling the purchase of ad inventory for third-party TV content provider The Trade Desk, through Amazon Fire TV devices.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=Megan|date=July 26, 2019|title=The Trade Desk hits 52-week high on deal to sell video ads on Amazon Fire TV|work=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/26/the-trade-desk-hits-52-week-high-on-deal-to-sell-video-ads-on-amazon-fire-tv.html|access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref> That September, The Trade Desk launched an advertising campaign, "Media for Humankind", to position itself as a "more transparent digital advertising"<ref>{{cite news|last1=Murphy|first1=Paige|date=September 24, 2019|title=The Trade Desk takes aim at Google and Facebook in a new campaign|publisher=AdNews|url=https://www.adnews.com.au/news/the-trade-desk-takes-aim-at-google-and-facebook-in-a-new-campaign|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref> alternative to Google and Facebook.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wodinsky|first1=Shoshana|date=September 26, 2019|title=The Trade Desk Focuses on People, Not Programmatic in Latest Campaign|publisher=AdWeek|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/trade-desk-people-not-programmatic-ad-tech/|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=Megan|date=September 26, 2019|title=The Trade Desk's new ad campaign pokes Google and Facebook in the ribs|publisher=AdWeek|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/23/the-trade-desks-new-ad-campaign-pokes-google-and-facebook-in-the-ribs.html|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref>
In mid-2020, Unified ID 2.0 (UID 2.0) launched as a second iteration to leverage a post-cookie internet using encrypted email and phone number data to create a secure identity standard.<ref>[https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/the-trade-desk-building-version-2-0-unified-id/ "The Trade Desk Is Building Version 2.0 of Its Unified ID"] ''AdWeek''</ref> The identity resolution software was adopted by Disney<ref>[https://www.marketingdive.com/news/unilever-test-disneys-identity-integration-trade-desk/641280/ "Unilever first to test Disney’s identity integration with Trade Desk"] ''Marketing Dive''</ref> and Paramount,<ref>[https://www.nexttv.com/news/paramount-enables-unified-id-20-for-connected-tv-ad-sales "Paramount Enables Unified ID 2.0 for Connected TV Ad Sales"] ''NextTV''</ref> as well as by major advertisers, including Procter & Gamble and Unilever.<ref>[https://www.adexchanger.com/advertiser/procter-gamble-is-doing-the-unified-id-2-0-thing/ "Procter & Gamble Is Doing The Unified ID 2.0 Thing"] ''AdExchanger''</ref>
In early 2022, The Trade Desk launched OpenPath, granting advertisers direct access to its premium digital advertising inventory.<ref>[https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/spo-is-evolving-thanks-to-direct-publisher-connections-and-a-push-for-sustainability/ "SPO Is Evolving Thanks To Direct Publisher Connections And A Push For Sustainability"] ''AdExchanger''</ref> Publishers using OpenPath include ''Conde Nast'', ''Reuters'', and ''The Washington Post''.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/technology/trade-desk-counter-googles-ad-grip-with-tool-publishers-2022-02-15/ "Trade Desk to counter Google's ad grip with tool for publishers"] ''Reuters''</ref>
The Trade Desk launched Kokaia, a new media buying platform that integrates advances in distributed AI, measurement, and deep learning algorithms with digital media buying, in June 2023.<ref name=":0" />
In March 2024, NBCUniversal announced that its broadcast content for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics would be available, in partnership with The Trade Desk, to online automated programmatic marketers, for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2024 |title=NBCUniversal Leans Into AI In Upfront Ad Sales Push|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nbcuniversal-leans-ai-upfront-ad-194515743.html |access-date=May 22, 2024 |website=Yahoo |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2024 |title=The 'crème de la crème': 2024 Paris Olympics goes programmatic on Peacock|url=https://www.thecurrent.com/2024-paris-olympics-programmatic-peacock-nbcuniversal |access-date=May 22, 2024 |website=The Current |language=en}}</ref> That May, Netflix announced its first expansion of its advertising partnerships to include The Trade Desk, Magnite, and Google DV360 (formerly DoubleClick).<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-ad-tier-update-40m-users-shift-from-microsoft-1235900301/ "Netflix Says Ad Tier Has 40M Users, Plans to Bring Ad Tech In-House in Shift From Microsoft"] Hollywood Reporter. May 15, 2024</ref>
TTD announced OpenSincera, in May 2025, an API to generate metadata on advertising quality and the health of the digital advertising supply chain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-13 |title=Sincera Offers A Free API For Some Of Its Prized Metrics |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/sincera-offers-a-free-api-for-some-of-its-prized-metrics/ |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=AdExchanger}}</ref> That year, TTD also added a "Deal Desk" to its Kokai platform, designed for advertisers to manage deals directly with publishers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-05 |title=The Trade Desk Launches Deal Desk, Its Bid To Make Deal IDs Not Terrible |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/the-trade-desk-launches-deal-desk-its-bid-to-make-deal-ids-not-terrible/ |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=AdExchanger}}</ref>
The Trade Desk was added to the S&P 500 Index in July 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This Magnificent Tech Stock Is Soaring After Joining the S&P 500. Should You Buy It? |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/magnificent-tech-stock-soaring-after-joining-sp-500-should-you-buy-it |access-date=February 27, 2026 |website=Nasdaq}}</ref>
It has consistently been named to annual lists by, among others, ''Fortune'' magazine.<ref>[https://fortune.com/company/trade-desk-2/ "The Trade Desk"] ''Fortune''</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=100 Best Medium Workplaces|publisher=Fortune|url=https://fortune.com/best-medium-workplaces/|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref> It was included in the Forbes Global 2000 in 2022,<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/companies/trade-desk/?sh=33317a985905 "Trade Desk"] ''Forbes''</ref> and ranked 22nd on ''TIME''{{'}}s "America’s Growth Leaders of 2026" list.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hu |first=Charlotte |title=America's Growth Leaders of 2026 |url=https://time.com/7327022/americas-growth-leaders-2025/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251219164354/https://time.com/7327022/americas-growth-leaders-2025/ |archive-date=2025-12-19 |access-date=2026-02-28 |work=TIME}}</ref>
=== Financials === The Trade Desk raised about $120 million of venture capital (VC) from investors by 2016, including from VC firms Founder Collective and IA Ventures.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Haggin |first=Patience |date=2016-09-07 |title=Trade Desk’s IPO Plan Values Ad-Tech Player at $573M |url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/trade-desks-ipo-plan-values-ad-tech-player-at-573m-1473208384 |access-date=2026-02-27 |work=Wall Street Journal |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In 2017, revenue rose 52 percent to $308 million,<ref name="bloomberg.com" /> then rose to $477 million in 2018.<ref name="CNBC1">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/31/the-trade-desk-is-growing-in-china-and-wall-street-loves-it.html|title=This US ad tech company is cracking into the Chinese market, and Wall Street loves it|last1=Graham|first1=Megan|date=May 31, 2019|access-date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> In 2019, third-quarter revenue was reported as $164 million, attributed to the growth of connected TV advertising.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://adage.com/article/digital/trade-desk-bets-big-connected-tv-revenue-jumps-38-percent/2213856\|title=THE TRADE DESK BETS BIG ON CONNECTED TV AS REVENUE JUMPS 38 PERCENT|last1=Sleffo|first1=George P.|publisher=Ad Age|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=November 15, 2019}}</ref>
It reported a 95% customer retention rate for 27 straight quarters in 2020, and an annual revenue of {{US$|836 million|link=yes}} in the same year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trade Desk Revenue 2015-2021 {{!}} TTD|url=https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/TTD/trade-desk/revenue|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.macrotrends.net}}</ref> The Trade Desk finished 2022 with a total spent on the platform of $7.8 billion,<ref>[https://digiday.com/media/the-trade-desks-bumper-quarter-has-some-important-caveats/ "The Trade Desk’s bumper quarter has some important caveats"] ''DIGIDAY''</ref> and annual revenue of over $1.5 billion.<ref>[https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/TTD/trade-desk/revenue "Trade Desk Revenue 2015-2023"] Macrotrends</ref>
After 33 consecutive earning periods of meeting or exceeding financial expectations, TTD performed below analyst expectations by about 2%, in Q4 2024, and stock value decreased by more than 32% in February 2025. The Trade Desk's revenues for the quarter were $741 million; total 2024 revenues grew 26%, to $2.4 billion;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Friedman |first=Wayne |title=Trade Desk Misses Q4, Stock Plummets |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/403388/trade-desk-misses-q4-stock-plummets.html |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=www.mediapost.com |language=en}}</ref> company stock rebounded in the first quarter of 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Trade Desk Q2 Preview: Can Kokai Cement the Q1 Rebound After a Rough Q4? |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trade-desk-q2-preview-kokai-173050764.html |access-date=February 27, 2026 |work=Yahoo Finance}}</ref>
==See also== *List of advertising technology companies
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official|https://www.thetradedesk.com}} * [https://www.thecurrent.com/ ''The Current''] (News resource by theTradeDesk) {{Finance links | name = The Trade Desk, Inc. | symbol = TTD | reuters = TTD.O | bloomberg = TTD:US | sec_cik = 1671933 | yahoo = TTD | google = TTD:NASDAQ }}
{{S&P 500 companies}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trade Desk, The}} Category:Marketing companies established in 2009 Category:Online advertising services and affiliate networks Category:Companies based in Ventura County, California Category:Companies listed on the Nasdaq Category:2016 initial public offerings Category:Online advertising Category:Digital marketing companies of the United States Category:2009 establishments in California