EX.CO is a Disney-backed,[2] machine learning-driven video platform that helps media companies grow revenue across multiple media platforms.[3] It is used by publishers and media owners such as Advance Local[4], Hearst Newspapers, The Arena Group, PlayWorks, and Ziff Davis to monetize video content across screens.[5]
 | |
| Formerly | Playbuzz |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Tom Pachys, Shachar Orren |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Tom Pachys, CEO[1] Shachar Orren, CMO/CRO Yaniv Lubinski, CFO Oren Regev, COO |
| Website | ex |
History
editEX.CO was originally founded as Playbuzz in 2012 by Shaul Olmert and Tom Pachys. Pachys is a graduate of IDC as well as the co-founder of Whimado.
In its early years, Playbuzz raised several funding rounds, including a $3 million Series A from Carmel Ventures and a $35 million Series C in 2017 led by Viola Group with participation from existing investors including the Walt Disney Company and Saban Ventures.[6][7]
In 2019, Shaul Olmert stepped down as CEO, with co-founder Tom Pachys assuming the role. Olmert eventually departed the company entirely.[8] Playbuzz then changed its name to EX.CO[9] and Shachar Orren was later named a co-founder of the company in 2021.[10]
Acquisitions
editIn 2021, EX.CO acquired video monetization technology company Cedato.[11]
In 2022, the company announced the acquisition of the machine-learning company Bibblio.[citation needed]
Awards
edit- 2022 Business Insider: Hottest Marketing Tech Companies of 2022[12]
- 2023 Digiday Video & TV Awards: Best Digital Video Monetization Program [13]
- 2024 Digiday Media Awards: Best Video Platform [14]
- 2024 Digiday Technology Awards: Best Sell-Side Programmatic Platform [15]
- 2025 Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces List, recognizing culture and employee engagement[16]
- 2025 Digiday Technology Awards: Best Sell-Side Programmatic Platform[17]
- 2026 Convergent TV Awards: Ad Tech Innovation of the Year [18]
- 2026 The Webby Awards: AI Features & Innovation - Best Product or Service Honoree [19]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Playbuzz CEO Shaul Olmert to Step Down". Calcalist. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ↑ Blount, Leslie (25 March 2022). "How Personalization Helped Alex and Ani Boost Conversions 65%". Adweek. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ↑ Andrews, Robert (November 2025). "For CTV Publishers, the Future Is Predictive, Not Reactive". Beet.TV. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ↑ Schiff, Allison (19 August 2024). "How A Group Of Local News Sites Went From Zero Video Revenue To Seven Figures 'Overnight'". AdExchanger. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ↑ Kaplan, David (December 2025). "EX.CO's Shachar Orren: Video Is Publishers' Best Defense Against AI 'Zero-Click' Era Because Summaries Can't Replace Watching". Beet.TV. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ↑ Shead, Sam (27 September 2017). "Playbuzz raised $35 million for its platform that aims to help publishers engage with the 'Snapchat generation'". The Business Insider. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ↑ Marshall, Jack (27 September 2017). "Disney-backed Playbuzz raises $35 million to grow content creation platform". MarketWatch. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ↑ Kahan, Raphael (10 October 2019). "Playbuzz CEO Shaul Olmert to Step Down". Calcalist. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ Ha, Anthony (18 November 2019). "Playbuzz becomes Ex.co and expands its content marketing platform". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ↑ Spiro, James (13 October 2021). "EX․CO appoints Shachar Orren as Co-Founder". CTECH. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ↑ Ha, Anthony (22 April 2021). "EX.CO acquires video adtech company Cedato". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ↑ Johnson, Lauren (28 November 2022). "The hottest marketing tech companies of 2022". Business Insider. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ↑ "PlayStation and MOCEAN, PinkNews, TheSoul Publishing and INNOCEAN USA are 2023 Digiday Video and TV Award winners". Digiday. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ↑ "Salesforce, TIME and Fortune Media are among this year's Digiday Media Awards winners". Digiday. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ↑ "Adobe, Soundcloud, Disney and Spectrum are 2024 Digiday Technology Awards winners". Digiday. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Best Workplaces 2025 Meet the 514 Companies That Prioritize Their People". Inc.com. 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ↑ "The Walt Disney Company, Grammarly and Intuit Mailchimp are 2025 Digiday Technology Awards winners". Digiday. 12 August 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ↑ "Cynopsis Reveals Winners of the Inaugural Convergent TV Awards". Cynopsis. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "AI Features & Innovation". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 7 April 2026.