Publicis acquires bootstrapped Israeli startup AdgeAI for $100 million
The Israeli company, which was founded less than three years ago, has developed AI agents that automate marketing decisions across major platforms.
French advertising group Publicis has acquired Israeli startup AdgeAI. The company, which operated on a bootstrap model and had not raised external capital, is being sold for an estimated $100 million. The companies did not disclose the value of the deal when it was announced earlier this month.
AdgeAI was founded just days before the October 7 attacks by Eyal Ben Shalom (CEO) and his brother Asaf Ben Shalom (CTO). A partner to some of the world’s biggest brands and platforms, Adge’s AI-powered analytics platform optimizes creative and video performance by analysing engagement and conversion data, identifying the most effective creative elements, and delivering actionable insights that guide content strategy and improve ROI across campaigns.
The company previously took part in Meta’s AI accelerator program in Israel. Over the past year, it appointed Adam Raz as CMO and Udi Avital as Chief Creative Officer, both former Meta executives.
Publicis is acquiring AdgeAI’s technology to integrate it into its internal product systems, aiming to provide clients with more advanced creative and performance tools. At the same time, AdgeAI is expected to continue operating and expanding its product within the fast-growing brand marketing space.
The company has developed a platform of autonomous AI agents designed for marketing and growth teams in large organizations. Unlike basic generative AI tools that assist with content creation, AdgeAI’s system manages end-to-end marketing strategies. It analyzes campaign performance data and independently adjusts execution to maximize return on investment. The agents integrate with organizational data and marketing systems such as Salesforce and Google Ads, allowing them to act directly on campaigns.
Like many companies in the sector, AdgeAI focuses on user acquisition (UA). Its system identifies which audiences respond best to specific messages and can automatically adjust budgets and creative strategies within hours, tasks that traditionally take human teams days to complete.
“This is a defining moment not just for Adge, but for how the industry thinks about creative intelligence. By bringing our technology into Publicis’ existing engine, we're giving brands something they've never had before; the ability to move at the speed of the algorithm without losing the spark of great creative,” said Eyal Ben Shalom, Co-Founder and CEO of AdgeAI.
Arthur Sadoun, Chairman & CEO Publicis Groupe, said: “With the acquisition of AdgeAI, we are bridging the gap between instinct and proven performance, transforming creative performance measurement from a retrospective report into a forward-looking capability that anticipates and delivers real business outcomes.”
