October 24, 2023
Moloco, a leader in operational machine learning (ML) and performance advertising, announced today that Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is recognizing Co-Founder and CEO, Ikkjin Ahn, as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2023 at its Builders and Innovators Summit in Healdsburg, California.
Goldman Sachs selected Ikkjin Ahn from multiple industries to be honored at the two-day event. With software and monetization experience at YouTube and Google, Ahn co-founded Moloco in 2013 to empower businesses of all sizes to grow through operational machine learning. As CEO, Ahn sets the strategy and vision for the company. Ahn has led the company through significant revenue growth, global expansion, and exceptional talent acquisition. Under his leadership, Moloco has grown revenue by more than 5X from 2020 to 2022 and has been profitable for 13 consecutive quarters.
"I'm thrilled to be named by Goldman Sachs as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2023," said Ahn. "This award is an honor and a direct reflection of the team’s success to date, empowering businesses of all sizes to grow through operational machine learning. I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide companies with access to advanced machine learning technology that rivals the scale and power of the big tech platforms. I’m excited to build upon the remarkable achievements we have made at Moloco over the last ten years, particularly as we continue to expand into new areas such as retail media and monetization opportunities for streaming media.”
“We’re delighted to recognize Ikkjin as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs of 2023,” said David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “Like everyone in this year’s class, Ikkjin has been a visionary in his field, pushing forward innovation and redefining markets. We are excited to harness Goldman’s convening power to bring together these dynamic leaders and hear their insights.”
Earlier this year, Moloco welcomed several new investors into its cap table, including Fidelity Management & Research Company; Singapore-based global investor, EDBI; GPI Capital; and Neuberger Berman who have become Moloco shareholders via secondary stock transactions. These new investments bring Moloco’s valuation to more than $2.0B.
Moloco continues to see rapid growth across its portfolio of software solutions powered by machine learning, including:
- Demand Side Platform: Moloco's Demand Side Platform is used by more than a thousand global performance advertisers to purchase media on more than 2 million apps using an automated system powered by machine learning and optimized for outcomes.
- Retail Media Platform (RMP): Moloco’s Retail Media Platform enables online marketplaces and retailers to build their own ML-powered advertising business using Moloco’s advanced ML infrastructure and proprietary models.
- Streaming Media Monetization Solution: Moloco’s solution for streaming media and OTT enables media owners to offer both brand and performance ads, expanding their total market opportunity, and increasing ads revenue, through ML.
In addition to honoring the most exceptional entrepreneurs, the Summit consists of general sessions and clinics led by seasoned entrepreneurs, academics and business leaders as well as resident scholars.
Moloco executives plan to attend the upcoming Goldman Sachs Private Innovative Company Conference (GS PICC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 14-16, 2023.
About Moloco:
Moloco’s mission is to empower businesses of all sizes to grow through operational machine learning. With Moloco’s machine learning platform for growth and performance, every app publisher and e-commerce marketplace can now unlock the value of their unique, first-party data. Moloco Cloud DSP enables performance marketers to quickly scale user acquisition and achieve greater lifetime value through market-validated prediction models. Moloco Retail Media Platform enables commerce platforms to establish their own performance ads business. Moloco Monetization for Streaming and OTT enables streaming media companies to build a scalable and profitable ad business that delivers results for advertisers. Moloco was founded in 2013 by a team of machine learning engineers and has offices throughout the US, the UK, Germany, Korea, China, India, Japan, and Singapore.
About Goldman Sachs:
Goldman Sachs is a leading global financial institution that delivers a broad range of financial services to a large and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world.
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