Latest news with #DSPs
Business Journals
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
The last-mile entrepreneur: How a Bay Area business owner turned Amazon deliveries into success
In August 2020, a customer came into Ronald Dubon's mechanic shop and asked him to repair an Amazon delivery truck. After completing the job, the customer mentioned that he had many more trucks needing service if Dubon could handle them. 'My eyes went big,' Dubon remembers. 'I thought I was coming up on an Amazon contract to fix vehicles.' But soon, Dubon discovered a different opportunity. The customer explained that Amazon doesn't operate the ubiquitous vans that take packages from its warehouses and deliver them to customers' homes. Instead, it contracts with more than 4,400 independent logistics companies to handle last-mile delivery. Dubon, who owned a delivery company of his own, was intrigued. He completed an online application for Amazon's Delivery Service Partner program the next day. He moved quickly through Amazon's interview process and, by October, was taking delivery of a fleet of 20 vehicles to launch his business. 'My life changed in that moment,' he said. expand Inside Amazon's DSP program Turning his Inner City Logistics business into an Amazon DSP was relatively simple, Dubon said. Amazon negotiates with vendors that supply most of the equipment DSPs need to purchase for their businesses, such as Amazon-branded vans, uniforms and handheld devices. The company also offers access to various optional business services, such as insurance, accounting and payroll software. Amazon's commitment to its DSPs is growing, too. In September 2024, the company announced it plans to incrementally invest more than $2.1 billion in the DSP program. It plans to spend the money on safety programs, rate cards, training, value-added services, incentives and other areas to support the businesses that handle its last-mile deliveries. 'I was awarded contracts with other logistics companies in the past, but it was like, 'Do you want a contract? Do you have a truck? OK, bring the truck and start running loads the next day,' Dubon said. 'The vetting process with Amazon is just a different world. When I started seeing all of these things and the level of the structure, I knew I was onto something that was going to be the future.' Today, Inner City Logistics ranks among Amazon's top-performing DSPs. Dubon's team of more than 100 employees operates 38 Amazon routes across San Francisco, Milpitas, San Jose and Fremont, scaling to as many as 100 routes during peak periods. Discovering the recipe for business success Amazon's training, structure and support to its DSPs has benefitted Dubon's other entrepreneurial efforts, including L'Roco Grill, a Salvadoran restaurant in San Jose. Dubon's wife, Lady Ruiz, runs the restaurant and handles backend responsibilities for Inner City Logistics. 'I used to operate businesses with a fear that came from not knowing if what we were doing was right or wrong because we didn't have that guidance,' he said. 'We learned a lot about how to run a good business. It's been a big change.' Amazon's training also underscored the importance of intentionally building your company culture to serve two types of customers: external customers who purchase goods and services and internal customers who work for your business, Dubon said. 'That concept alone makes a huge difference on how you walk into your building and how you treat people,' he said. 'Not only the people who come in to spend money at your business but also your employees because, ultimately, they are your clients. You need to make them both happy.' Elevating entrepreneurship Dubon's passion for entrepreneurship and professional development extends beyond his businesses. He's helped one employee go on to open his own DSP business, and two more are on their way to doing the same. Dubon has become a champion for Road to Ownership, an accelerated training program Amazon offers to help high-performing DSP employees become DSP owners. The 16-week program includes classroom-style training and mentorship by a successful DSP owner. People who graduate from Road to Ownership receive a $30,000 grant to help them launch their businesses. 'I pride myself on developing the best people and taking them up to the next level,' Dubon said. 'We've done that in the restaurant business, too, my wife and I. This is what I love doing.' The first person Dubon mentored through the Road to Ownership program was Jose Mejia, who started working for Inner City Logistics as a helper supporting the company's drivers. He moved up through the company quickly, serving as a driver, then a trainer, dispatcher and operations manager. 'This is probably the guy with the best work ethic that I've ever met,' Dubon said. 'He is an extremely amazing guy, and I thought he deserved an opportunity for something even better.' Mejia has continued his professional growth. He received a Rising Star award from Amazon for having the best DSP launch in 2023. Today, he has close to 100 employees in the Sacramento region. It is a success story Dubon said he hopes to help repeat by supporting more entrepreneurs. 'I have a motto in my company,' Dubon said. 'I want you to come to my company as a driver, but if you leave, I want you to leave as a business owner.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois budget cuts could reduce jobs, services for intellectually disabled in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — State budget cuts are set to impact Rockford's Goldie B. Floberg Center, which provides housing and support for children, teens, and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities. The organization employs 125 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), whose positions may be at risk. CEO John Pingo said the Goldie Floberg Center relies on state funding to pay DSPs to provide care to the disabled. 'When you look at the amount of funding being offered for the pay increase, that's $20 million. And then you look at the amount of the cut from the DSP service hours being cut, that's $32 million. That amounts to 430 lost Direct Support Professional positions,' he said. Government funding for DSPs is allocated by service hours, meaning a cut in hours results in a cut in funding. Pingo estimated the nonprofit could lose almost $150,000 from its budget. Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) said Illinois lawmakers are aware of the concerns. 'There may be cuts, but it may not affect this program,' he said. 'So, I think a lot of the lawmakers, including myself, want to make sure those hours are maintained and there are not cuts to services to a vulnerable population. I think one way or another will make sure that those services stay in place.' Pingo encouraged residents to voice their support for the center. 'Give them the simple message of: please do not cut Direct Support Professional service hours. It was only through aggressive advocacy from our community that stopped the hours from being cut last year. And it will only be through advocacy from our community that will stop it this year,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Asahi Kasei Microdevices and Dirac Partner to Meet Growing Demand for High-Fidelity In-Car Audio Performance
TOKYO & NOVI, Mich. & DÜSSELDORF, Germany & UPPSALA, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading semiconductor manufacturer Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) and Swedish digital audio pioneer Dirac have announced a partnership to integrate Dirac's suite of software-defined smart acoustics solutions, AudioIQ, into AKM's line of automotive audio digital signal processors (DSPs), including its flagship AK7709, to significantly reduce tuning time while enhancing sound quality within vehicle interiors. This collaboration brings a new level of audio precision to automotive amplifier systems, delivering a more natural, immersive sound experience for drivers while dramatically reducing the need for complex manual tuning. The partnership also enables AKM to embed Dirac's proprietary algorithms into its next generation of audio DSPs. As indicated in Asahi Kasei's 2023 automotive survey, as driverless vehicles become more prevalent, passengers increasingly emphasize in-cabin experiences. Together, the two companies aim to meet the rising demand for immersive in-car entertainment while addressing OEMs' pain points of taxing tuning processes. 'With the electrification of vehicles and growing demand for premium passenger experiences, high-quality in-cabin sound has never been more critical,' said Takeshi Fujita, General Manager for ES Project at AKM. 'Our partnership with Dirac allows us to pair our industry-proven DSPs and proprietary audio technologies with Dirac's cutting-edge smart acoustics software to create a more natural and immersive acoustic environment for every seat in the vehicle.' Over the past 20 years, AKM has shipped more than 200 million units of its audio DSPs, which have been widely adopted in vehicle infotainment systems and other audio and voice solutions. By integrating Dirac's smart acoustics software directly into its proven DSP portfolio, AKM enhances its ability to deliver lifelike audio in the face of challenging cabin acoustics and speaker placements. The partnership further elevates the performance of AKM's proprietary software solutions, including Dynamic Sound Control (DSC), which automatically optimizes music balance in response to changing road and driving conditions, and Karaoke Mode, which delivers enhanced in-cabin entertainment through low-latency echo cancellation and howling suppression. 'Our partnership with AKM reflects our shared commitment to making premium in-car audio more accessible and efficient to implement,' said Ramzi Khalaf, Director, Strategic Partnerships at Dirac.'By embedding Dirac AudioIQ solution into AKM's leading DSPs, we're empowering automakers to deliver best-in-class sound performance that adapts to any cabin configuration – without the cost and complexity of traditional tuning methods.' Dirac AudioIQ is a fully scalable audio optimization platform for vehicles. It combines measurement-based tuning with advanced signal processing to deliver consistent, high-quality sound across every seat. AudioIQ minimizes manual calibration and supports all levels of system complexities, helping manufacturers improve audio performance while significantly reducing tuning time and overall time-to-market. Looking ahead, Dirac and AKM plan to expand their collaboration to support future generations of AKM audio DSPs, creating a scalable platform for automotive audio innovation. Learn more about AKM's audio DSPs here and Dirac's automotive audio technologies here. About Dirac Dirac develops digital software solutions that create a significantly improved sound experience for all types of sound systems. Our customers include enterprises, such as sound system manufacturers and streaming services, as well as consumers. Dirac is a global company with headquarters in Uppsala, Sweden and R&D facilities in Copenhagen, Denmark and Bangalore, India, with representation in Greater China, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the USA. To learn more, visit About Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) AKM, a Japan-based company, operates an electronic components business as a member of the Asahi Kasei Group's Material sector. AKM provides customers with unique products by combining the compound semiconductor technology used in magnetic sensors with the ASIC/analog circuit technology used in silicon semiconductors. AKM's unique products and solutions are featured across a wide range of markets, including mobile communication devices and consumer products, as well as automotive electronics devices, household equipment, and industrial equipment. Additional information is available on About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with an ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 49,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Healthcare. For more information, visit Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PubMatic Unveils AI-Powered Media Buying Platform
Privacy-First Approach: The platform will ensure compliance with privacy regulations while leveraging first-party data for precision targeting, addressing the growing demand for privacy-conscious advertising solutions. Real-Time, Always-On Optimization : PubMatic's Gen AI monitoring agent will proactively track campaign and deal performance 24/7, surfacing actionable insights and optimization recommendations to ensure delivery goals are met. This always-on intelligence will reduce manual efforts, flag issues before they impact outcomes, and free up traders to focus on higher-value strategic tasks. Omnichannel Scale: Buyers will tap into premium streaming and omnichannel inventory across connected TVs, mobile apps and browsers, enriched with audience data from PubMatic's Connect platform to drive better targeting and efficiency. Unified Activation & Insights: Buyers will seamlessly activate curated deals through PubMatic's Activate platform or their DSP of choice while benefiting from real-time supply insights. AI-Driven Efficiency : In PubMatic's Gen AI-powered marketplace, buyers will describe their campaign goals, audience strategy, or inventory needs using natural language. The platform will instantly surface or create curated deals while built-in forecasting tools will recommend optimal budgets and bid CPMs to maximize performance, resulting in faster deal creation and more predictable, high-performing outcomes. Announced on the two-year anniversary of PubMatic's Activate product launch, this marks a milestone in PubMatic's evolution from a traditional SSP into an innovative end-to-end technology company powering the future of programmatic advertising on the open internet. With Gen AI at its core, PubMatic's buyer suite addresses an array of inefficiencies around supply paths, workflows, inventory discovery, audience strategy, and optimization. The buyer-facing platform combines proprietary supply-side intelligence with AI-powered buying tools, and by uniquely combining direct SSP access with seamless campaign activation capabilities, it offers supply-path transparency unavailable to DSPs. This is critical at a time when buyers demand greater control over and visibility into where and how their media dollars are spent. NO-HEADQUARTERS/REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PubMatic, a leader in digital advertising technology, today announced the launch of its upgraded solution suite for buyers, powered by generative AI. PubMatic's buyer platform streamlines every stage of the media buying process – from audience and inventory discovery and forecasting to curation, activation, and performance optimization. It is the only solution with direct access to nearly the entire open internet – 1,900 premium publishers, privacy-safe audience data from 190 data partners, and over 821 billion daily ad impressions. Story Continues 'Our goal is to give media buyers a smarter, faster path to campaign performance,' said Kyle Dozeman, Chief Revenue Officer, Americas, at PubMatic. 'We've embedded Generative AI into the entire PubMatic experience, integrating the technology seamlessly into our proven tools – Activate, Connect, and our SSP – unlocking the full potential of data-driven decision-making, while bringing buyers closer to high-quality, performant supply that reaches across the breadth of the open internet. Early adopters of our buy-side tools have already seen remarkable improvements in campaign efficiency and ROI, and we're excited to continue driving innovation in partnership with leading agencies and advertisers." Currently in beta testing with long-standing partners, the combined suite has strong support from industry leaders. GroupM, a global partner and early adopter of PubMatic's Activate platform, which delivered a 126% incremental sales lift for a client, implements PubMatic's buy-side solutions worldwide. Andrew Meaden, Global Head of Investment at GroupM expressed enthusiasm for the new platform: "Our long-standing partnership with PubMatic is based on a shared commitment to privacy-first, AI-powered innovation and helps us stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. PubMatic's new unified platform will help us deliver smarter, more efficient campaigns for our clients, bringing together discovery, curation and activation in a single easy-to-use solution.' Publishers also stand to gain from the platform's success. By leveraging machine learning and curated deals, the platform helps publishers maximize yield, increase fill rates, and maintain control over inventory quality and pricing. Integration with first-party data and commerce media networks empowers publishers to deliver targeted, privacy-compliant advertising experiences that drive incremental revenue and long-term growth. PubMatic's integrated supply chain brings buyers and sellers closer together, reduces complexity, and ensures more value flows directly to publishers. As the industry moves toward a fully integrated supply chain, PubMatic's buyer platform emerges as a critical nexus – scaling partnerships and AI-driven innovation across curation, activation and measurement to unlock ecosystem-wide collaboration. PubMatic's curation partner Attain, whose transaction insights power precision targeting and will be available immediately to buyers on the platform, highlights the platform's opportunity: 'PubMatic's AI-first platform represents an exciting vision for aligning ad spend with curated purchasing behavior', said Dave Constantino, SVP at Attain. 'By integrating real-time transaction data directly into deal curation and activation workflows, buyers gain an unprecedented ability to target high-intent audiences while measuring and optimizing for true business outcomes. This is the future of technology-first, performance-driven programmatic, and we're excited to be a part of it.' To preview the new platform's user experience, click to watch the video below: For more information about PubMatic's enhanced buyer suite or partnership opportunities, please visit: About PubMatic: PubMatic (Nasdaq: PUBM) is an independent technology company maximizing customer value by delivering digital advertising's supply chain of the future. PubMatic's sell-side platform empowers the world's leading digital content creators across the open internet to control access to their inventory and increase monetization by enabling marketers to drive return on investment and reach addressable audiences across ad formats and devices. Since 2006, our infrastructure-driven approach has allowed for the efficient processing and utilization of data in real time. By delivering scalable and flexible programmatic innovation, we improve outcomes for our customers while championing a vibrant and transparent digital advertising supply chain. Press Contact: Ashley Jacobson, Director of Corporate Marketing, press@ Broadsheet Communications for PubMatic, pubmaticteam@ A video accompanying this announcement is available at
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Down 50% in 2025: Is The Trade Desk Stock a Buy?
The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) was one of the market's hottest digital advertising stocks. It went public at a split-adjusted price of $1.80 on Sept. 21, 2016, and it rallied more than 6,100% to a record closing price of $139.51 on Dec. 4, 2024. A $20,000 investment in its IPO would be worth $1.24 million today. But today, The Trade Desk's stock trades at around $57. It lost more than half of its value as investors fretted over its slowing top-line growth. Does that pullback represent a good buying opportunity for patient long-term investors? The Trade Desk owns the world's largest independent demand-side platform (DSP) for digital ads. DSPs sell advertising space for programmatic (automated) ads across desktop, mobile, and connected TV (CTV) platforms to advertisers. They work in tandem with sell-side platforms (SSPs), which help publishers sell their own ad inventories. Bigger tech companies like Alphabet's Google and Meta Platforms bundle together DSPs, SSPs, and other tools in their own digital advertising platforms, but they generally lock advertisers and publishers into their websites, apps, and advertising networks. To break free of those "walled gardens" and reach a broader range of platforms across the "open internet," many of those companies turn to independent DSPs and SSPs. Instead of going toe-to-toe with Google or Meta in the mobile and PC markets, The Trade Desk is expanding its CTV business through ad-supported streaming video services. To help advertisers deal with the tightening restrictions for collecting third-party data, it provides Solimar, an AI-powered platform that collects more first-party data, and its Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) solution that replaces traditional cookies. It's also been building its own OS for smart TVs called Ventura to host its own ads. Furthermore, it's been bypassing SSPs like Magnite and Google's Ad Exchange with OpenPath, a platform that directly links publishers to advertisers. All of those efforts could transform it into a more broadly diversified advertising company. From 2016 to 2024, its revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36% as its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased at a CAGR of 41%. Its adjusted EBITDA margin expanded from 32% to 41%. That incredible growth trajectory fueled its millionaire-making gains over the past eight and a half years. At its peak last December, The Trade Desk's enterprise value hit $67.1 billion -- which was 21 times its projected revenue and 55 times its adjusted EBITDA for 2025. It was priced for perfection at those levels, but its near-term outlook was imperfect. In 2024, The Trade Desk's revenue rose 26%, its adjusted EBITDA increased 31%, and its adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by a percentage point to 41%. But for the first quarter of 2025, it expects its revenue to grow "at least" 17% year over year as its adjusted EBITDA declines approximately 10%. It attributes that slowdown to challenging comparisons to the prior-year quarter, which included an extra day from the leap year and higher spending on political ads. At the same time, it's ramping up its investments in "infrastructure and talent" as it expands its advertising ecosystem. For the full year, analysts expect its revenue to rise 18%, its adjusted EBITDA to grow 12%, and its adjusted EBITDA margin to dip 2 percentage points to 39%. That mix of slower growth and higher costs spooked the bulls, even though it didn't indicate its core business was deteriorating. However, The Trade Desk's high valuation made it an easy target as the threats of higher tariffs, sticky inflation, and elevated interest rates drove many investors away from pricey growth stocks this year. That pullback reduced The Trade Desk's enterprise value to $26.1 billion, or 9 times and this year's revenue and 23 times this year's adjusted EBITDA. Those valuations are reasonable relative to its growth rates, but its upside could remain limited as long as the macro headwinds throttle the expansion of the advertising sector. So if you plan to hold The Trade Desk's stock for at least a few years instead of a few months, it's a great time to accumulate some shares as the bulls look the other way. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $284,402!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $41,312!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $503,617!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.*Stock Advisor returns as of March 24, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool recommends Magnite. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Down 50% in 2025: Is The Trade Desk Stock a Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
