AI Startups Automate Ad Operations

AI startups are transforming the advertising industry by automating ad operations, attracting significant investor interest and reshaping how media buying and campaign management are handled. Companies like Olyzon and Swivel are at the forefront of this shift, using AI agents to streamline processes such as line item trafficking, video ad creation, and budget reallocation.

These AI agents promise to be faster, more cost-effective, and precise compared to human operators. In 2025, agentic AI startups secured $700 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. Major tech companies like Google and Salesforce are also developing their own AI agents for marketing tasks, signaling a broader industry trend toward automation.

Gartner predicts that by 2028, 33% of business software will incorporate AI agents, underscoring the growing reliance on AI in various sectors. Sim Blaustein from 1745 Ventures noted that AI agents could potentially replace traditional ad ops services, raising questions about whether these agents can achieve classic software margins or simply mirror the services they replace.

AI-Driven Ad Ops Startups

Several startups are leveraging AI agents to automate marketing tasks, offering innovative solutions to brands and publishers. Here are five notable companies in this space:

MarkeTeam

MarkeTeam provides AI agents to mid-market brands, integrating with social media and ad platforms for trend monitoring, competitor analysis, and real-time optimization. The startup uses five AI agents for content creation, SEO, and brand management, working with brands like Glassy Baby, Accessibility Accelerator, Kimberly-Clark, Dunkin’ Donuts, Kellogg’s, Vimeo, and Cisco.

MarkeTeam raised $3 million in seed funding in 2025 and uses AI models trained on open-source technologies such as Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemma, and Qwen, developed by Alibaba Cloud.

Olyzon

Olyzon’s AI agents assist brands in planning and executing connected TV ads on platforms like Vizio. These agents identify target audiences and create media plans after receiving a campaign brief via chatbot. They also generate ad formats using brand assets from company websites.

Olyzon works with major brands like PepsiCo, L’Oréal, Loewe, Mastercard, Nissan, Redbull, Ford, MG Motors, and IKEA. The company raised $5 million in a seed round in 2025 and utilizes AI models from OpenAI, DeepSeek, Anthropic, and its proprietary technology.

ProRata

ProRata has expanded into advertising, using AI agents for ad copywriting, creative matching, and campaign optimization within its search platform. The company works with brands across insurance, travel, fashion, and consumer electronics, though it declined to specify which brands.

ProRata raised $25 million in Series A funding in 2024 and uses a mix of open-source large and small language models, including Meta’s Llama 3.

[Startup Without Name]

This startup automates creative production and media buying for connected TV ads. Its AI agents include a Creative Agent for video ad generation, a Campaign Planner Agent for budget and targeting suggestions, and a Campaign Optimization Agent for testing creative variants and reallocating budget based on real-time signals.

The startup works with brands like Trident Coffee, Countryside Homes, and Mondeca Design, running ads across Comcast’s Universal Ads, Channel 4, and ReachTV. It is bootstrapped but expects a $2.5 million seed round this fall, using AI models like Google’s Veo 3, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, and Suno.

Swivel

Swivel’s AI agents automate ad monetization for publishers, performing optimizations and providing strategic recommendations to maximize yield. Publishers set parameters for tasks like line item creation, which the AI automates.

Swivel works with LG and Telly and raised $5.8 million in Series A funding in 2025. Its AI models are developed in-house and trained on each client’s data.

The Future of AI in Ad Operations

The rise of AI agents in ad operations reflects a broader trend of automation in the advertising industry. As AI technology advances, it is likely to become an integral part of how brands and publishers manage their marketing efforts.

However, questions remain about the long-term impact of AI agents on traditional ad ops services and whether they can deliver the same level of precision and creativity as human operators. As the industry evolves, the role of AI in ad operations will continue to be a key area of focus for investors, startups, and established tech giants alike.