The Trade Desk Launches TD7, Venture Capital Arm to Invest in Open Internet Start-Ups

First Investment in Algorithmic Ad Optimization Innovator, Chalice

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global advertising technology leader, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) today announced the launch of an internal venture capital arm, TD7, to invest in technology innovators focused on the open internet. As part of this announcement, The Trade Desk highlighted an initial investment in Chalice, a company pioneering new approaches to algorithmic ad buying.

“Advancing the open internet is core to our mission at The Trade Desk. An open, transparent and competitive internet is in everyone’s interests – advertisers, publishers and consumers – and we look forward to investing in companies that share this vision,” said Jeff Green, Co-Founder and CEO, The Trade Desk. “This is an important moment for The Trade Desk. The TD7 name derives from the $7 million in venture capital it took for The Trade Desk to become profitable. And we’ve been profitable ever since. We want to see more smart ad tech people succeed in small and disciplined companies because that will help the whole industry innovate and grow.”

The announcement comes as The Trade Desk launches its new trading platform, Solimar, bringing major advances in ad-buying for the open internet. Solimar’s many features are also available via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), allowing developers to build on the company’s innovations to create their own ad tech offerings.

“The Trade Desk’s platform APIs have been key in establishing Chalice as an Open Internet ad tech innovator. The Trade Desk’s approach leaves room for industry innovation, in a way that is not possible with Walled Gardens,” said Adam Heimlich, CEO of Chalice. “We look forward to building on this progress with The Trade Desk as TD7’s first venture investment.”

About The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Chalice Custom Algorithms

Chalice empowers forward-thinking brands to own their success with transparent, tailored and intelligent algorithmic ad buying. Leveraging brand-specific KPIs, protected insights, and predictive analytics, Chalice’s lightweight tech layer is designed to help brands get ahead -- and stay ahead -- of their competitors. Chalice’s founders are industry veterans from New York who share a passion for the democratization of machine learning.