Vibe.co Lands $50M in Latest Effort to Bring AI-Driven Performance Ads to TV

Vibe.co, a platform aiming to make TV advertising as easy as buying a social media ad, has raised a $50 million Series B at a $410 million valuation, as reported by Advanced Television. The funding is aimed at capturing the wave of direct-to-consumer brands that are hitting the limits of growth on traditional social media and are now looking to television.

• Hitting a milestone: Calling itself the "Meta for TV advertising," Vibe.co says its self-serve platform for connected TV (CTV) has resonated with smaller brands. The company claims it hit a $100 million annual revenue run rate in under two years, a growth rate that puts it in rare company among software startups. As part of the deal, Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia will join its board.

• AI in the studio: A key part of Vibe.co’s pitch is its AI-powered Vibe Studio, which can spin up ad creatives using little more than a business name or URL. The company reports that AI is already behind 10% of the ads on its platform, a figure it expects to hit 30% by 2026. This automation is central to its goal of lowering the barrier to entry for TV advertising.

• A hot market: The investment arrives as a growing crop of platforms are vying to democratize access to TV, a space historically dominated by massive brands. Vibe.co is betting that its focus on performance and measurement can win over advertisers looking for new channels beyond the walled gardens of Google and Meta.

The move signals a broader market shift where the data-driven tactics of digital marketing are finally taking root in television, turning CTV into a true performance channel for brands of all sizes.

In related AI news, other ad tech firms are also pushing innovation, with companies like Optime unveiling AI-driven tools for interactive video in partner marketing.