Braze

2Q26 AdTech Portfolio Update: Consolidation & Exits

The Quo Vadis 2Q26 portfolio update reviews performance since January 2022 and highlights accelerating consolidation across the public AdTech landscape. BigTech (Google, Meta) continued to outperform; the AdTech11 portfolio remains down since inception but improved slightly from 1Q. Several mid-market AdTech names have exited public markets via strategic or PE deals (IAS to Novacap, LiveRamp to Publicis, Criteo to Vista, DoubleVerify to Nielsen). The note ranks remaining AdTech11 names by probability of being acquired in the next 12 months (PubMatic, Teads, Viant, Taboola, Magnite, MNTN, Zeta, The Trade Desk). The author argues scale and valuation pressures are driving a stampede of M&A, leaving fewer independent public AdTech assets and reshaping sector dynamics.

Playable Enables Sounded Inline AutoPlay Video in Email

Playable Inc. announced a new email video capability that enables HD video to autoplay on open with user-controlled sound and playback directly inside email messages, eliminating the need to redirect recipients to external platforms. The feature is available to enterprise customers and integrates with major ESPs and marketing platforms. Playable says the solution preserves brand context and CTAs, offers features like AI Video Editing, Lifecycle Video, Video Lock & Compliance, and provides one-click connectors to several ESPs. The company also offers a Leakage Calculator to estimate revenue lost when subscribers are redirected outside the inbox.

Berks Technologies Urges Use of Google PASF for SEO

Berks Technologies, a UK-based digital marketing and SEO agency, published insights on August 3, 2026 recommending businesses leverage Google’s People Also Search For (PASF) feature to improve organic search performance. The firm says PASF reveals related searches generated from actual user behavior and can be used for keyword discovery, content planning, strengthening topical authority, and localized SEO opportunities. Berks advises organizing PASF-driven queries into supporting content themes, answering multiple user questions in single resources, and avoiding keyword stuffing in favor of high-quality content. The article also distinguishes PASF from Google’s People Also Ask feature, noting PASF focuses on subsequent related searches that can expand keyword targeting and better match user intent.