Upfront Digital Media

Upfront Digital Media, established in July 2009 by co-founders Ran Cohen, Yiftah Frechter, and Yoav Arnstein, operates as a specialized provider of programmatic marketing solutions. The company, initially known as Legolas Media, carved a niche for itself by pioneering methods for forecasting and reserving audiences at scale starting in 2010. The leadership team, including Cohen and Frechter, brought over a decade of shared experience from previous roles at ad-tech firms Eyeblaster and MediaMind (now Sizmek), which informed the new venture's direction.

A significant milestone occurred in 2013 when the firm launched a comprehensive omni-channel platform. This platform uniquely integrated Guaranteed (programmatic direct), Private Marketplace (PMP), and Real-Time Bidding (RTB) channels, allowing simultaneous access across video, mobile, and display ad inventories. This development addressed a key market need for unified campaign execution with greater transparency, a response to what the parent company's CEO called the "black box syndrome" in the programmatic direct market. The business model centers on providing both managed and self-service consoles to clients, which include global marketers, publishers, and ad networks. These tools empower users to forecast specific audiences and inventory reach upfront, thereby enabling the execution of cohesive marketing strategies with full creative control and performance certainty.

Financially, the company secured approximately $6.55 million in funding over several rounds, with investments from notable firms such as Blumberg Capital and 83North (formerly Greylock IL). The company's trajectory culminated in its acquisition by Undertone, a digital advertising company, in June 2014. This strategic move was designed to enhance Undertone's offerings by integrating Upfront's programmatic direct and private exchange capabilities. Following the acquisition, co-founders Ran Cohen and Yiftah Frechter joined Undertone, and the Upfront platform was set to be expanded across Undertone's suite of high-impact advertising units. The company maintained offices in New York City and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Keywords: programmatic marketing, ad-tech, omni-channel advertising, audience forecasting, programmatic direct, private marketplace, real-time bidding, media buying platform, digital advertising, ad inventory, media activation, PMP, RTB, publisher tools, Yiftah Frechter, Ran Cohen, Legolas Media, Undertone, ad campaign management, audience reservation