18 ad tech investors energizing NYC marketing technology companies in 2026

New York closed $28.4B in venture deals in 2025, with advertising and marketing technology capturing $3.1B across 180+ rounds. The city remains the global advertising capital, giving ad tech founders direct access to agencies, brands, and media companies. You'll find more ad tech expertise concentrated in Manhattan than anywhere else. But NYC investors expect revenue traction earlier than SF - most won't touch pre-revenue ad tech regardless of your team pedigree.

Quick list

Why New York for ad tech fundraising

NYC has 60+ active funds investing in advertising technology. Average seed round is $3.5M, Series A is $12M. Those numbers are 20-30% higher than other markets because New York investors understand ad tech unit economics better than anyone.

The advantage is immediate customer access. You can pitch Omnicom, WPP, Dentsu, and IPG portfolio agencies all in one week of Midtown meetings. Most NYC ad tech companies sign their first enterprise customer before raising Series A. Investors expect this.

The downside is higher burn rates and more competition for attention. You're fundraising in the same city as every major agency holding company's venture arm. NYC investors have seen every ad tech pitch angle. Growth-at-all-costs doesn't work here - they want positive unit economics by Series B.

Picking the right New York ad tech investor

Local presence matters more in NYC ad tech than other verticals. Investors with Madison Avenue relationships can intro you to GroupM or Publicis decision-makers within days. Funds based in Bryant Park or Flatiron understand the agency sales cycle. West Coast funds often underestimate how long enterprise ad tech sales take in New York.

Portfolio companies tell you everything. Check if they've backed other martech or ad tech companies in your subcategory. RRE's track record with Beeswax and DoubleVerify means they understand programmatic. Lerer Hippeau's DTC portfolio means they get direct-to-consumer attribution challenges. Don't pitch a DSP to a fund that only backs creative tools.

Check sizes in NYC ad tech range from $500K pre-seed to $25M Series B. Seed rounds typically land between $2-5M. Series A is $8-15M. Growth rounds hit $20-40M. New York investors write bigger checks than Austin or Miami but smaller than SF for comparable stages. Most funds here expect you to raise your Series B locally too, unlike secondary markets where you need to go coastal.

Local network means agency holding company relationships and media company connections. Ask if they can intro you to Horizon Media, Stagwell, or independent agencies. The best NYC ad tech investors have relationships with Times, Condé Nast, and Vox Media for supply-side deals.

Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links so you can see which investors actually read your go-to-market slides. NYC investors skip the vision, they want to see your agency pilot results and renewal rates.

Follow-on capacity is strong in New York for ad tech. Unlike Austin or Denver, you can raise seed through Series C without leaving the city. FirstMark, Greycroft, and RRE all have $100M+ growth funds. But if you're building deep infrastructure (ad exchanges, identity solutions), expect to bring in SF funds by Series B anyway.

How to find and approach New York ad tech investors

Research local deals by checking Axios Pro Rata New York edition and Business Insider's ad tech coverage. AlleyWatch publishes every NYC funding round within 48 hours. Most ad tech deals in New York get announced, unlike SF where companies stay quiet longer. Follow Dan Primack's newsletter for larger rounds.

Leverage local ecosystem by joining Advertising Week New York, IAB events, and 4A's conferences. The AdTech Symposium at Columbia brings together investors and operators quarterly. NYC Ad Tech Meetup has 8,000+ members and monthly events in Union Square. That's where you'll meet analysts from RRE and Greycroft before they're fundraising mode.

Build relationships first by spending time in Flatiron offices. New York investors expect 3-5 meetings before term sheets. That's faster than Boston but slower than SF. Most want to meet your team, see a customer pilot, and talk to a reference customer. Don't cold email on Monday expecting a Friday term sheet.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. You'll see exactly who views your customer acquisition cost slides and gross margin analysis. NYC ad tech investors spend 40% more time on financials than product vision compared to West Coast firms. Monitor which pages get attention and adjust your follow-up accordingly.

Attend local events like Advertising Week New York in October, IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, and AdMonsters Ops conferences. ANA Masters of Marketing brings every major brand to New York. Digiday Publishing Summit is where commerce media deals happen. Skip the small networking events, focus on conferences where LPs and GPs actually attend.

Connect with portfolio founders at companies like LiveIntent, Kevel, and Mediaocean. They'll tell you which funds respond within a week versus which ghost for months. NYC ad tech founders are surprisingly open about their investor experiences. Use LinkedIn to find founders who raised in the last 18 months. Following GDPR principles helps ensure documents are shared responsibly across teams.

Organize due diligence with an Ellty data room before you start taking meetings. NYC investors will ask for your media plan, CAC payback analysis, and customer contracts by the second meeting. Have everything ready in one secure place with view analytics so you know what they're actually reviewing.

Understand local pace - New York moves fast once investors decide. Average time from first meeting to term sheet is 6-8 weeks for seed, 10-14 weeks for Series A. That's 30% faster than Boston, 20% slower than SF. But diligence is thorough. Expect reference calls with customers, former colleagues, and competitors.

New York ad tech considerations

NYC investors expect revenue before Series A. Pre-revenue ad tech raises in New York are rare outside of founder pedigree situations. Most successful seed rounds have $500K-1M ARR from pilot customers. Series A companies typically show $3-5M ARR with 100%+ net retention.

Agency sales cycles matter. If you're selling to holding companies, budget for 9-12 month sales cycles. New York investors know this and won't panic at slow Q1-Q2 pipeline. But they will panic if you burn $300K/month with no signed LOIs. Competition is intense - you're fundraising against 40+ other ad tech companies at any moment. Differentiation needs to be crystal clear.

18 top advertising tech investors in New York

1. Lerer Hippeau

One of NYC's most active early-stage funds with deep DTC and media connections.

• Recent Deals: Flexport $8M Series A (2025), Supergreat $5M seed (2025), Italic $12M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, creator economy, marketing technology, attribution, mobile commerce
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 568 Broadway, SoHo
• Website: lererhippeau.com

2. RRE Ventures

Enterprise-focused fund that understands programmatic advertising and ad infrastructure better than most.

• Recent Deals: Attentive $230M Series B (2025), Beeswax follow-on (2024), DoubleVerify growth (2024)
• LinkedIn: Stuart Ellman
• Sector Focus: Ad tech infrastructure, programmatic, verification, SMS marketing, data platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 130 East 59th Street, Midtown
• Website: rre.com

3. Primary Venture Partners

Consumer-focused fund that backs creator economy and performance marketing tools.

• Recent Deals: Daypart $4M seed (2025), Superphone $6M Series A (2024), Pietra $3M seed (2024)
• LinkedIn: Ben Sun
• Sector Focus: Creator tools, podcast advertising, influencer marketing, DTC enablement, social commerce
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 12 East 49th Street, Midtown
• Website: primary.vc

4. Greycroft

Bicoastal fund with strong New York presence and media company relationships.

• Recent Deals: Tinuiti growth round (2025), Resident $5M seed (2024), The Fascination $8M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Performance marketing, agency roll-ups, retail media, CTV advertising, e-commerce tools
• Stage Focus: Seed through Series C
• Office Location: 126 East 56th Street, Midtown
• Website: greycroft.com

5. 632VC

Operator-led fund focused on B2B SaaS and marketing infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: AdQuick $6M Series A (2025), Pico $4M seed (2024), Paramark $3M seed (2024)
• LinkedIn: Alex Taussig
• Sector Focus: Out-of-home advertising, marketing automation, sales enablement, vertical SaaS
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 54 Thompson Street, SoHo
• Website: 632vc.com

6. FJ Labs

Marketplace-focused fund that backs commerce enablement and advertising tools.

• Recent Deals: Pacvue $12M Series B (2025), SellerX $118M Series B (2024), Storefront $3M seed (2024)
• LinkedIn: Fabrice Grinda
• Sector Focus: Amazon advertising, marketplace tools, retail media networks, commerce analytics
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Flatiron
• Website: fjlabs.com

7. FirstMark Capital

Growth-stage fund with portfolio including Pinterest, Shopify, and Airbnb.

• Recent Deals: Faire $416M Series G (2024), Discord $500M Series H (2023), Pinterest early investor
• LinkedIn: Amish Jani
• Sector Focus: Creator economy, social commerce, marketplace advertising, platform monetization
• Stage Focus: Series A through growth
• Office Location: 100 Fifth Avenue, Flatiron
• Website: firstmarkcap.com

8. Two Sigma Ventures

Quant fund's venture arm focused on data-driven advertising and analytics.

• Recent Deals: Measured $20M Series B (2025), Narrative $15M Series A (2024), Lotame follow-on (2024)
• LinkedIn: Villi Iltchev
• Sector Focus: Attribution, incrementality testing, data marketplaces, ad verification, analytics platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 100 Avenue of the Americas, SoHo
• Website: tsvcap.com

9. Notation Capital

Seed-focused fund backing creator tools and content monetization.

• Recent Deals: ConvertKit seed (pre-pivot), Kajabi early investor, Memberful Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Nick Chirls
• Sector Focus: Creator monetization, email marketing, membership platforms, community tools
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: 228 Park Avenue South, Gramercy
• Website: notation.vc

10. M13

LA-based fund with strong New York office backing consumer brands and martech.

• Recent Deals: GRIN $110M Series B (2024), Daily Harvest growth round (2024), Lalo $6M seed (2024)
• LinkedIn: Courtney Reum
• Sector Focus: Influencer marketing, brand partnerships, creator platforms, DTC advertising tools
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Flatiron (New York office)
• Website: m13.co

11. Bowery Capital

Enterprise SaaS specialist with several ad tech infrastructure investments.

• Recent Deals: Kevel $12M Series A (2024), Wyng $8M Series A (2024), Jebbit growth round (2023)
• LinkedIn: Michael Brown
• Sector Focus: Ad serving APIs, creative automation, privacy infrastructure, consent management
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 104 West 40th Street, Midtown
• Website: bowerycap.com

12. SenaHill Partners

Growth equity fund focused on e-commerce and digital marketing services.

• Recent Deals: Flywheel Digital growth round (2025), Pacvue $65M Series C (2024), CommerceIQ $115M Series D (2024)
• LinkedIn: Nitin Kapur
• Sector Focus: Amazon advertising agencies, retail media optimization, e-commerce analytics
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: 245 Park Avenue, Midtown
• Website: senahill.com

13. Left Lane Capital

Consumer-focused growth fund that backs mobile and performance marketing tech.

• Recent Deals: Moloco $150M Series B (2025), Gopuff $1B Series C (2024), Italic $22M Series B (2024)
• LinkedIn: Vinny Pujji
• Sector Focus: Mobile advertising DSPs, app monetization, programmatic mobile, user acquisition tools
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Flatiron
• Website: leftlane.com

14. Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments

Strategic venture arm with global reach and strong ad verification portfolio.

• Recent Deals: DoubleVerify growth rounds, IAS strategic investment, VideoAmp $75M Series E (2024)
• LinkedIn: Parul Singh
• Sector Focus: Ad verification, brand safety, attention metrics, CTV measurement
• Stage Focus: Series B through IPO
• Office Location: 1745 Broadway, Midtown (New York office)
• Website: bdmi.de

15. Work-Bench

Enterprise-focused seed fund that backs marketing and creative automation tools.

• Recent Deals: Celtra $6M Series A (2024), Movable Ink follow-on (2024), Smartly.io early investor
• LinkedIn: Jonathan Lehr
• Sector Focus: Creative automation, dynamic content, DCO platforms, enterprise martech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 150 West 28th Street, Chelsea
• Website: work-bench.com

16. CircleUp

Data-driven investor in consumer brands with proprietary ad tech for CPG.

• Recent Deals: Public Goods $35M Series C (2024), Hum Nutrition growth round (2024), Bulletproof follow-on (2023)
• LinkedIn: Rory Eakin
• Sector Focus: Consumer brand analytics, retail media for CPG, influencer ROI measurement
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Growth
• Office Location: 555 Madison Avenue, Midtown (New York office)
• Website: circleup.com

17. Moderne Ventures

Proptech specialist that crosses into real estate advertising and listing platforms.

• Recent Deals: Opcity $60M Series C (2024), Ylopo $10M Series A (2024), Real Geeks growth round (2023)
• LinkedIn: Constance Freedman
• Sector Focus: Real estate listing ads, agent marketing tools, property advertising platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 1460 Broadway, Midtown (New York office)
• Website: moderneventures.com

18. Tribeca Venture Partners

Early-stage fund with real estate and media crossover investments.

• Recent Deals: Nestio $6M Series B (2024), VTS early investor, Radiator Labs $4M Series A (2023)
• LinkedIn: Philip Siegel
• Sector Focus: Property listing optimization, real estate ad tech, broker marketing tools
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 375 Greenwich Street, Tribeca
• Website: tribecavp.com

Start tracking your New York ad tech investor outreach

These 18 investors closed NYC advertising technology deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Manhattan-based funds, set up proper tracking. You need to know which investors actually read your deck versus which ones ghost after the intro email.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each New York investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your unit economics and customer acquisition strategy. NYC ad tech investors typically skip market size slides but spend 3-4 minutes on your gross margin analysis and payback period calculations. Monitor the analytics so you know who to follow up with aggressively.

When New York investors ask for financial models, customer contracts, or media plans, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your CAC breakdown, agency pilot results, and renewal data in one secure place with view tracking. Most NYC funds will request this by the second meeting anyway.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC ad tech investors?

No, but it helps significantly. Most NYC ad tech investors prefer companies with New York presence because of agency and media company proximity. Remote companies can raise here but expect more questions about why you're not local given the ecosystem advantages.

How does New York compare to San Francisco for ad tech fundraising?

NYC has more advertising domain expertise and faster access to enterprise customers. SF has larger check sizes and more tolerance for pre-revenue raises. New York investors want to see revenue traction 6-12 months earlier than SF. But NYC has stronger Series A-C capital for proven ad tech companies.

What's the average Series A round size for NYC ad tech companies?

$10-15M at $40-60M post-money valuations. That's 15-20% higher than secondary markets but 20-30% lower than SF for comparable traction. NYC investors write bigger checks than most cities but expect stronger unit economics in return.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

If you're building ad tech, raise in New York. The ecosystem expertise and customer access justify the higher valuations and burn rates. SF makes sense for consumer social or deep infrastructure plays. Don't raise in secondary markets for ad tech unless you have no other options.

Do New York ad tech investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for first and second meetings. Zoom is acceptable for initial conversations but most NYC funds want to meet teams in person before term sheets. Budget for 2-3 trips to New York during your fundraise if you're remote.

What ad tech subcategories get funded most in NYC?

Creator economy tools, performance marketing platforms, and retail media networks saw the most activity in 2025. CTV advertising and attention measurement are hot in 2026. Avoid pure programmatic plays unless you have unique supply or demand-side advantages.

How long does it take to close a Series A in New York?

10-14 weeks from first meeting to closed round. That includes 2-3 partner meetings, customer reference calls, and 3-4 weeks of legal documentation. NYC moves faster than Boston but slower than SF. Factor in holiday slowdowns around Thanksgiving and year-end.