Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Taking the necessary steps to remain listed. The company faces a two pronged battle to remain listed on the NASDAQ. On one front, it must address the shareholder equity deficiency. And, on the other front, it must address the stock price, which is trading below $1. We view the issues separately and believe that the company has a strategy to remain listed on both fronts.
Addressing the shareholder deficit. The company has a program to raise capital through an equity reserve facility to address its shareholder deficit issue to comply with a NASDAQ requirement. To date, the company has raised $7 million on its $20 million facility. The company could raise even more capital when it becomes S3 eligible at the end of Summer. Currently, the company is $23 million short of turning shareholder equity positive.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Mixed Q1 results. The company reported Q1 revenue of $8.2 million, below our estimate of $10.5 million, and adj. EBITDA loss of $3.0 million, which was in line with our estimate of a loss of $3.1 million. Notably, the variance in revenue was attributed to softness in the company’s sell-side business, which is still recovering from the defamatory article that was released in 2024. Sell-side revenue trends improved from Q4 when taking into account the seasonality strong quarter and influx of $700,000 in Political advertising.
Segment results. The company reported Q1 Buy-side revenue of $6.1 million, an increase of 6.1% over the prior year period and in line with our estimate of $6.5 million. While Sell-side revenue of $2.0 million was lower than our $4.0 million estimate, the segment should improve volume in the second half of the year, which should provide a meaningful step up in revenue.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
Enhanced Buy-Side Revenue Demonstrating Business Segment Growth as Orange 142 Scales
19% Reduction in Operating Expenses Compared with 1Q24 Driven by Strategic Cost Saving Initiatives
Entered New Strategic Partnerships to Diversify and Expand Addressable Market
HOUSTON, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.
Mark D. Walker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “As we begin to move through 2025, we are focused on continuing to scale our buy-side solution while simultaneously rebuilding our sell-side business. During the first quarter, which is historically our weakest quarter, we recognized consolidated revenue of $8.2 million, supported primarily by buy-side revenue of $6.1 million which was up 6% compared to the prior year. Sequentially, first quarter sell-side revenue of $2.0 million is relatively comparable to fourth quarter 2024 sell-side revenue of $2.7 million, an encouraging trend given that (1) fourth quarter is typically the strongest quarter for the sell-side business based on seasonality and (2) our 2024 fourth quarter included $0.7 million of political spend. In the first quarter of 2025, we saw the continued impact of the disruption of our sell-side business in 2024, however, we are pleased by the ongoing commitment of our agency, brand and publisher partners to resume or increase activity with the Company once direct connections are fully integrated in the second half of 2025, and we are working diligently to restore this segment to previous levels.
“Our focus in 2025 is on driving growth and value for our shareholders,” Mr. Walker continued. “We’ve launched several initiatives to drive our progress, including revenue optimization efforts to diversify our revenue base and cost saving initiatives to drive reductions in operating expenses and enhance operational efficiencies. In the first quarter of 2025, we reduced operating expenses by nearly $1.5 million, or approximately 19% when compared to the first quarter of 2024. We continue to evaluate the optimal personnel and cost structure for our business.
“At the business unit level, the unification of our two buy side divisions into Orange 142 has allowed us to better service the small to mid-sized partners who represent a significant growth opportunity for our business. Moreover, our Colossus Connections, launched in the third quarter of 2024 to accelerate direct integration efforts with leading demand-side platforms, is progressing well, and as previously reported, we signed up two of the leading marketplace partners and we recently added two additional mid-tier partners who are near completion with integration. We expect to see the impact of these new partners on our revenues in the second half of 2025 once integration has been completed,” Mr. Walker stated.
“With our current visibility, we maintain our current revenue guidance of $90 million to $110 million for the full fiscal year of 2025 supported by growth across both our buy-side and sell-side segments. There is still a great deal of work to be done in a challenging and uncertain time, but we believe that we are well positioned with a revitalized model, prudent cost management strategies, and strong demand for our products and services to drive growth and value as we navigate the business back to profitability,” Mr. Walker concluded.
Keith Smith, President, commented, “We remain focused on strategically recalibrating and enhancing our business model to capitalize on new opportunities and meet the demands of our diverse partners. We faced significant challenges in 2024, and we are now emerging as a stronger, more nimble business intent on continuing to scale and expand our offerings. From a liquidity perspective, we continue to explore strategic opportunities to support key growth initiatives and drive long term value for our shareholders.”
First Quarter 2025 Highlights
Processed approximately 188 billion average monthly impressions through the sell-side advertising segment.
Sell-side advertisers increased 13% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Sell-side media properties of 24,000 average per month in the first quarter of 2025 decreased 8% compared to the first quarter of 2024, increased 20% over the same period in 2023, and decreased 15% sequentially compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.
Buy-side advertising segment served over 220 customers in the first quarter of 2025.
Buy-side advertising revenue for the first quarter of 2025 included $1.2 million from customers in new verticals.
Continued to consider strategic opportunities to support key growth initiatives and drive long term value for shareholders.
First Quarter 2025 Financial Results
Revenue of $8.2 million decreased 63% compared to $22.3 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Sell-side advertising segment revenue of $2.0 million decreased 88% compared to $16.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. The decrease in sell-side advertising revenue was primarily related to a decrease in impression inventory when compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Buy-side advertising segment revenue of $6.1 million increased 6% compared to $5.8 million in the same period of 2024.
Gross profit was $2.4 million, or 29% of revenue, compared to $5.0 million, or 22% of revenue, in the first quarter of 2024.
Operating expenses of $6.3 million decreased $1.5 million, or 19%, compared with $7.8 million in the same period of 2024. The reduction in operating expenses was primarily driven by decreased payroll costs related to the Company’s internal reorganization and cost saving measures to lower certain ongoing expenses.
Operating loss was $3.9 million, compared to operating loss of $2.8 million in the prior year period.
Net loss was $5.9 million compared to net loss of $3.8 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Adjusted EBITDA1 loss was $3.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to a loss of $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2024.
As of March 31, 2025, the Company held cash and cash equivalents of $1.8 million compared to $1.4 million as of December 31, 2024.
Financial Outlook
Based on current visibility and subject to general market factors, the Company is maintaining its full year guidance of $90 million to $110 million for full year 2025. This target is based on the expectation of consolidated revenue growth compared to full year 2024 driven by enhanced buy-side activity through Orange 142 and the ongoing recovery of the Company’s sell-side business rebuilds to historical revenue levels.
Diana Diaz, Chief Financial Officer, stated, “Our focus continues to be on optimizing performance, reducing our cost structure, and driving efficiencies as we navigate the business back to profitability. With our visibility today, we believe that we are well positioned to achieve our financial goals for the fiscal year.”
Conference Call and Webcast Details
Direct Digital will host a conference call today, May 6, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company’s first quarter 2025 financial results. The live webcast and replay can be accessed at https://ir.directdigitalholdings.com/. Please access the website at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot access the webcast, a replay will be available at https://ir.directdigitalholdings.com/ for a period of twelve months.
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1“Adjusted EBITDA” and “Adjusted Operating Expenses” are non-GAAP financial measures. The section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below describes our usage of non-GAAP financial measures and provides reconciliations between historical GAAP and non-GAAP information contained in this press release.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws that are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties. We use words such as “could,” “would,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “likely,” “believe,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements include these words. All of our forward-looking statements involve estimates and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the information described under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Form 10-K”) and subsequent periodic and or current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) and assumptions.
Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the restrictions and covenants imposed upon us by our credit facilities; the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing; our ability to secure additional financing to meet our capital needs; our ineligibility to file short-form registration statements on Form S-3, which may impair our ability to raise capital; our failure to satisfy applicable listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market resulting in a potential delisting of our common stock; costs, risks and uncertainties related to restatement of certain prior period financial statements; any significant fluctuations caused by our high customer concentration; risks related to non-payment by our clients; reputational and other harms caused by our failure to detect advertising fraud; operational and performance issues with our platform, whether real or perceived, including a failure to respond to technological changes or to upgrade our technology systems; restrictions on the use of third-party “cookies,” mobile device IDs or other tracking technologies, which could diminish our platform’s effectiveness; unfavorable publicity and negative public perception about our industry, particularly concerns regarding data privacy and security relating to our industry’s technology and practices, and any perceived failure to comply with laws and industry self-regulation; our failure to manage our growth effectively; the difficulty in identifying and integrating any future acquisitions or strategic investments; any changes or developments in legislative, judicial, regulatory or cultural environments related to information collection, use and processing; challenges related to our buy-side clients that are destination marketing organizations and that operate as public/private partnerships; any strain on our resources or diversion of our management’s attention as a result of being a public company; the intense competition of the digital advertising industry and our ability to effectively compete against current and future competitors; any significant inadvertent disclosure or breach of confidential and/or personal information we hold, or of the security of our or our customers’, suppliers’ or other partners’ computer systems; as a holding company, we depend on distributions from Direct Digital Holdings, LLC (“DDH LLC”) to pay our taxes, expenses (including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement) and any amount of any dividends we may pay to the holders of our common stock; the fact that DDH LLC is controlled by DDM, whose interest may differ from those of our public stockholders; any failure by us to maintain or implement effective internal controls or to detect fraud; and other factors and assumptions discussed in our Form 10-K and subsequent periodic and current reports we may file with the SEC.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances, and we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. New factors that could cause our business not to develop as we expect emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each currently known or new factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
About Direct Digital Holdings
Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
New resource offers insights, strategies, and tips to build measurable digital audio campaigns
AUSTIN, Texas, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), a division of Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) and a leading digital marketing agency for mid-market brands and agencies, today announced the release of its Digital Audio Best Practices Guide. Developed by Orange 142’s Emerging Channels Council, the guide provides marketers with the strategic frameworks and practical insights to leverage digital audio as a performance-driving channel fully.
Digital audio is becoming more popular, with over 228 million Americans tuning in monthly across podcasts, streaming music, and internet radio. As this channel grows, it offers advertisers new opportunities to connect with highly engaged audiences through data-driven, programmatic campaigns.
“With this guide, we’re giving marketers of any size a playbook to fully tap into the power of digital audio—an environment where audiences are deeply engaged and often unreachable through other media,” said Lindsey Wilkes, SVP, Business Development and head of the Emerging Channels Council. “Whether listeners commute, work out, or cook dinner, digital audio offers rare, screen-free moments to deliver hyper-relevant messages. It’s not just about being heard—it’s about building brand presence in the everyday routines where loyalty is shaped.”
The guide explores:
The current opportunity in digital audio, including key audience and spend trends
The unique advantages of digital audio include precision targeting, immersive storytelling, and lower fraud risks
Industry challenges such as platform fragmentation, measurement limitations, and privacy regulations
Emerging trends, including AI-driven optimization, spatial audio, and programmatic growth
Privacy best practices for responsible targeting and consent management
Advanced approaches to measurement that move beyond basic exposure metrics to deliver meaningful attribution insights
Practical implementation strategies for audio creative, campaign optimization, and cross-channel alignment
“Digital audio combines the power of storytelling with the precision of digital targeting,” added Lindsey Wilkes. “But success requires more than just buying inventory—it takes intentional creative strategy, cross-device measurement, and a deep understanding of the audio landscape. With this guide, we deliver everything in one place for marketers.”
The Digital Audio Best Practices Guide is part of a broader initiative from the Orange 142 Emerging Channels Council, which serves as a thought leadership hub for helping independent brands and agencies explore innovative and underutilized advertising channels. The Council helps marketers unlock new growth opportunities through sustainable and scalable media strategies by providing access to education, collaboration, and actionable tools.
To download the Digital Audio Best Practices Guide or explore additional Emerging Channels resources, visit: orange142.com/emerging-channels-hub
About Orange 142 Orange 142 is a digital marketing and advertising company helping businesses and agencies of all sizes grow their reach and revenue through strategic, data-driven media execution. As the buy-side arm of Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT), Orange 142 delivers customized solutions across programmatic, search, social, connected TV, and emerging digital channels. With deep expertise in high-growth sectors such as Travel & Tourism, Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services, Orange 142 creates results-driven campaigns that connect brands with their most valuable audiences.
HOUSTON, April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced that the Company will report financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 after the U.S. stock market closes.
Management will host a conference call and webcast on the same day at 5:00 PM ET to discuss the results. The live webcast and replay can be accessed at https://ir.directdigitalholdings.com/.
About Direct Digital Holdings Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Listing requirements not met. The company initially received a notification that it was not in compliance with the Nasdaq’s minimum stockholder equity requirement in October 2024. The company subsequently submitted a plan to regain compliance in February 2025 and was granted an extension until April 16, 2025. However, on April 16, the company had not regained compliance and received a letter of determination from Nasdaq on April 17.
Letter of determination. The letter of determination stated the company did not meet the terms of its extension, due to a noncomplete capital raise that was laid out in its plan to regain compliance, and ultimately did not meet the stockholders’ equity requirement. We believe that the company is working on capital raising initiatives, which should put the company back in compliance. The Class A Common stock is scheduled to be suspended from trading at market open on April 28. The company has filed for a hearing which should delay the delisting process for at least 35 days.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Q4 in line with previously revised guidance. Q4 and full year 2024 revenue of $9.1 million and $62.3 million, respectively, were in line with the company’s revised guidance but were below our expectations of $14.5 million and $67.7 million, respectively. Consequently, an adj. EBITDA loss of $3.4 million was below our estimate of a loss of $2.3 million. We believe that investors will likely focus on the revenue outlook, which appears encouraging.
A sanguine revenue outlook. Management highlighted recent client “wins”, which are expected to be reflected starting in Q2. We believe that this gave management confidence to provide full year 2025 revenue guidance of $90 million to $110 million. The high margin Buy Side segment is expected to be a key area of focus to grow revenue and achieve improved cash flow.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
HOUSTON, March 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced that the Company will report financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2024 ended December 31, 2024 on Thursday, March 27, 2025 after the U.S. stock market closes.
Management will host a conference call and webcast on the same day at 5:00 PM ET to discuss the results. The live webcast and replay can be accessed at https://ir.directdigitalholdings.com/.
About Direct Digital Holdings Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Focus on rebuilding revenue. Over the past several months, the company has been focused on diversifying its revenue streams as it rebuilds revenue. Prior to Q3, the company’s largest sell-side customer accounted for roughly 80% of the segment’s revenue. After the large client reduced volume, negatively impacting Q3 results, the company is focused on not letting any one client comprise more than 20% – 30% of revenue.
New joint venture. On March 5, the company announced a new joint venture, Teranexa, with Green Tea Technology. This venture is focused on utilizing AI to improve efficiencies in small and medium-sized cities. Notably, Teranexa will combine the company’s data monetization expertise with Green Tea’s experience in IT project deployment, leveraging its partner network of IBM and HPE.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
New guide provides actionable strategies and tools for agencies to leverage AI effectively
HOUSTON, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced the release of “Practical Generative AI Use Cases & Tools for Agencies” guide in its AI education series. This comprehensive guide provides agency leaders with real-world AI applications and practical insights to effectively integrate AI tools into their workflows.
The accelerating adoption of generative AI is reshaping agency operations, enabling teams to streamline tasks, enhance creativity, and elevate the quality of their outputs. However, many agencies face uncertainty around where to begin and how to deploy AI responsibly while preserving strategic oversight. Practical Generative AI Use Cases & Tools for Agencies guide provides a structured roadmap for integrating AI-powered solutions into key agency functions.
“Generative AI is no longer a distant concept—it’s already a fundamental part of agency workflows,” said Anu Pillai, Chief Technology Officer at Direct Digital Holdings. “Whether it’s preparing for client meetings or streamlining ad development, AI is becoming an essential tool. This guide helps agencies adopt AI in a way that enhances efficiency while maintaining the creative and strategic edge that sets them apart.”
Turning AI Theory into Agency Practice
Through the guide, agencies gain insight into practical AI applications with real-world examples demonstrating how AI enhances workflows, reduces manual tasks, and improves business outcomes. They also develop a deeper understanding of key areas such as meeting preparation, ad coding, and creative development. The guide emphasizes that while AI enhances these processes, human oversight remains essential. It reinforces that AI is a support tool designed to augment strategic thinking and creativity, not replace them.
Key topics covered include:
AI-enhanced meeting preparation and client intelligence – Use AI-driven research to streamline meeting readiness and personalize client engagement.
Client research and pitch development – Automate competitive analysis, RFP responses, and background research for faster, data-driven decision-making.
Copy and tagline iteration – Accelerate creative brainstorming with AI-generated copy refinements that align with brand messaging.
Graphic and design iteration – Use AI-assisted design tools to generate creative concepts while maintaining brand consistency rapidly.
Digital ad coding and deployment – Reduce production time with AI-driven ad creation and optimization automation.
“The goal of this guide is not to replace human expertise but to empower agencies with AI-enhanced capabilities,” added Christy Nolan, VP of Delivery Solutions at Direct Digital Holdings. “By embracing AI as a collaborative tool, agencies can focus more on strategic storytelling and client success.”
In addition to practical real-world examples of AI application, the eBook provides a curated list of AI platforms and solutions that agencies can integrate today. It also features insights from industry leaders on AI’s impact on client interactions, creativity, and the future of agency workflows.
To download “Practical Generative AI Use Cases & Tools for Agencies”, please visit our AI Council resource center.
About Direct Digital Holdings
Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
HOUSTON, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (DRCT) and Green Tea Technology have jointly established Teranexa. This new joint venture aims to assist cities in leveraging AI to enhance operations and improve constituent services. Teranexa offers these Al enablement platforms through its trusted partner network of certified industry leaders like IBM and HPE, as well as others.
Teranexa’s platform can unify a city’s infrastructure costs by combining hardware, software, and services to address city challenges. This approach allows cities to implement AI solutions while managing interconnected issues affecting growth and livability.
Direct Digital Holdings will contribute its expertise in data monetization and technology solutions, while Green Tea will bring its proficiency in rapid IT project deployment. Together, these contributions are expected to enable Teranexa to provide comprehensive city solutions supported by proven methodologies and experienced teams.
Mark Walker, CEO of Direct Digital Holdings, stated, “As we look to optimize our business in 2025, we see this venture as a potential to improve city operations, making them more efficient and data-driven. Teranexa aims to bring scalable, AI-driven solutions to municipalities.”
Mike Little, CEO at Green Tea Technology, added, “Teranexa will provide a Smart City as a Service AI platform for cities to enhance operations and facilitate data-driven decision-making. Our service offers municipalities a foundation for growth and long-term development.”
As part of a soft launch, Teranexa will be introduced at an event during SXSW on Friday, March 7th, in Austin, TX. This gathering will allow industry professionals to network and learn about Teranexa’s approach to city innovation.
For more information about Teranexa and its Smart City as a Service AI solution, visit Teranexa.ai.
About Teranexa Teranexa, a joint venture between Direct Digital Holdings (NASDAQ: DRCT) and Green Tea Technology, provides AI-driven Smart City as a Service solutions that help cities operate more efficiently, serve residents more effectively, and create new revenue streams. Its fully managed platform integrates infrastructure, data intelligence, AI applications, and monetization tools, enabling municipalities to streamline operations, improve services, and unlock new economic opportunities. Teranexa empowers city leaders to address pressing challenges, optimize resources, and build scalable, secure AI infrastructure for communities by transforming raw city data into actionable insights.
About Direct Digital Holdings Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
About Green Tea Technology Green Tea Technology is a leading IT solutions provider in Austin, Texas. As an accredited HPE Certified GreenLake integration partner, the company is at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge Hybrid cloud solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses, both large and small. Green Tea Technology is committed to innovation and sustainability and is dedicated to architecting robust, scalable, and environmentally-friendly IT infrastructures.
New resource provides a structured framework to help organizations assess, prepare, and govern data for high-quality AI inputs
HOUSTON, Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced the release of The Role of Data in AI Quality, a comprehensive guide developed by Direct Digital Holdings’ AI Council to help organizations enhance the quality and integrity of data used in AI systems.
As artificial intelligence drives innovation across industries, organizations face a fundamental challenge: ensuring they have high-quality data to achieve consistently reliable AI outcomes. Businesses risk inaccurate predictions, biased models, and security vulnerabilities without structured, well-defined instructions and high-integrity data. The Role of Data in AI Quality equips business leaders with the insights needed to establish effective data management practices, ensuring AI solutions produce meaningful and trustworthy results. Additionally, it helps organizations make informed decisions about resource allocation, timelines, and investment in data preparation—critical first steps before embarking on any AI initiative.
Setting a Standard for AI Data Readiness
“AI systems are only as good as the data that powers them,” said Anu Pillai, Chief Technology Officer at Direct Digital Holdings. “Businesses investing in AI must first prioritize data quality, ensuring that information is accurate, complete, and ethically sourced. Our guide provides a practical approach for organizations looking to refine their data management strategies, identify gaps that can affect AI performance, and set a strong foundation for AI success.”
The “The Role of Data in AI Quality” guide offers key insights into:
Understanding the impact of data quality on AI performance
Best practices for data assessment, preparation, and governance
Managing compliance and privacy risks in AI-driven environments
Strategies for eliminating bias and enhancing data integrity
Leveraging data enrichment techniques to optimize AI outputs
“Many organizations are eager to adopt AI but struggle with the foundational step of data readiness,” added Christy Nolan, VP of Delivery Solutions at Direct Digital Holdings. “This guide goes beyond theory and provides actionable steps to help businesses effectively clean, structure, and manage their data. By following these best practices, companies can ensure their AI systems deliver accurate and meaningful insights.”
By addressing the complete data lifecycle and establishing rigorous controls for accuracy and security, the comprehensive resource enables organizations to build the strong data foundation essential for successful AI implementation.
Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
New guide helps organizations create clear, responsible AI usage policies to unlock the value of artificial intelligence while mitigating risks
HOUSTON, Feb. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform operating through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus SSP”) and Orange 142, LLC (“Orange 142”), today announced the release of its framework for establishing an employee generative AI usage policy, a practical guide from the company’s AI Council designed to help organizations set clear expectations and guardrails for AI use in the workplace.
As generative AI tools become more common in daily workflows, employees use them to streamline tasks, increase efficiency, and drive productivity. However, organizations risk data leaks, misinformation, compliance challenges, and reputational damage without well-defined policies. Despite widespread AI adoption, only 44% of companies have formal policies to govern its use.
Providing a Framework for AI Adoption and Governance
“AI adoption in the workplace is happening faster than many businesses are prepared for,” said Anu Pillai, Chief Technology Officer at Direct Digital Holdings. “Employees are already using these tools, but companies are leaving themselves open to significant risks without clear guidelines. Our framework offers business leaders a starting point to create transparent, structured AI policies that allow teams to safely and securely take advantage of the technology’s benefits.”
The “Framework for Employee Generative AI Usage Policy” guide is designed to help organizations craft policies tailored to their needs, addressing:
Ethical AI use and transparency
When AI can be used to add value and when its use poses an unnecessary risk
Data privacy guidelines to protect sensitive information
Human review and decision-making as a last line of defense
Creating cyclic structures for evaluating and auditing AI tools to maintain security
“Businesses can’t afford to take a wait-and-see approach on AI governance,” said Christy Nolan, VP of Delivery Solutions at Direct Digital Holdings. “By setting clear guidelines now, companies can foster a culture of informed AI adoption, positioning themselves to stay competitive while maintaining trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders.”
The framework is a foundational resource for business leaders, IT teams, and compliance officers looking to implement AI usage policies aligning with their industry, regulatory requirements, and company goals. It is designed to help organizations stay agile as AI evolves, providing a roadmap for responsible and sustainable AI integration in the workplace.
To download the “Framework for Employee Generative AI Usage Policy,” visit our AI Council resource center.
About Direct Digital Holdings
Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT) combines cutting-edge sell-side and buy-side advertising solutions, providing data-driven digital media strategies that enhance reach and performance for brands, agencies, and publishers of all sizes. Our sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers curated access to premium, growth-oriented media properties throughout the digital ecosystem. On the buy-side, Orange 142 delivers customized, audience-focused digital marketing and advertising solutions that enable mid-market and enterprise companies to achieve measurable results across a range of platforms, including programmatic, search, social, CTV, and influencer marketing. With extensive expertise in high-growth sectors such as Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Tourism, and Financial Services, our teams deliver performance strategies that connect brands with their ideal audiences. At Direct Digital Holdings we prioritize personal relationships by humanizing technology, ensuring each client receives dedicated support and tailored digital marketing solutions regardless of company size. This empowers everyone to thrive by generating billions of monthly impressions across display, CTV, in-app, and emerging media channels through advanced targeting, comprehensive data insights, and cross-platform activation. DDH is “Digital advertising built for everyone.”
