Inside Mobavenue’s vision: AI-driven advertising and programmatic growth

In an exclusive interaction, Ishank Joshi, Founder, MD & CEO of Mobavenue. He discusses how the company is transforming digital marketing through its AI-powered programmatic platform. He shares insights on the evolution of Mobavenue’s technology, the impact of artificial intelligence on user acquisition, and what the future holds for personalised marketing at scale.

Excerpts:

What led to the creation of Mobavenue, and what specific gaps in the digital marketing ecosystem were you aiming to address?

In 2017, prior to Mobavenue, we were primarily involved in publishing, developing and scaling apps and games. Advertising was our core revenue stream, and our strength lay in growing utility apps and gaming platforms. Around 2015–2016, India saw two significant developments: the launch of UPI and the advent of Jio.

UPI enabled digital transactions at scale, and Jio made internet access widely affordable. Together, they unlocked unprecedented opportunities within India’s internet economy. We identified a growing need among commerce and gaming brands to acquire users more effectively.

Initially, we depended heavily on platforms such as Google and Meta for programmatic advertising. However, we recognised a broader requirement, a platform that could optimise not just for impressions or clicks, but for business outcomes. This realisation drove our transformation from a digital agency into a technology platform, culminating in the launch of our first version in 2019.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further accelerated this transition. With a surge in video consumption, our platform scaled rapidly, optimising video-based performance campaigns and driving return on ad spend. Today, Mobavenue supports over 150 clients globally in acquiring, engaging, and re-engaging users through an AI-powered approach.

Mobavenue offers three core products, PrsmX, SurgeX, and ReaSurgeX. Could you explain the role each of these products plays within your broader platform?

Our infrastructure is built on a real-time bidding system, supported by proprietary AI and ML technology. It is a fully cloud-native platform that we’ve developed over the past three years.

• PrsmX is focused on building awareness and engagement. It enables video advertising across all screen types, including smartphones, smart TVs, and out-of-home digital displays. It centralises video delivery with an emphasis on brand-led outcomes.

• SurgeX functions as our demand-side platform for user acquisition. It targets high-intent users, optimising toward real actions such as sign-ups, cart additions, or first-time purchases.

• ReSurgeX manages remarketing and re-engagement. It helps businesses increase user lifetime value by encouraging returns, cross-sells, or repeat purchases.

All three modules are integrated into the same infrastructure, enabling brands to manage the full marketing funnel, from awareness to acquisition and retention, through a single platform.

Mobavenue describes itself as an AI-powered programmatic growth marketing company. What does this involve? Beyond AI, what other key differentiators define the future of programmatic advertising, such as data quality, speed, or scalability?

Programmatic advertising, by nature, is well-suited to machine learning applications. In markets like India with a billion-plus users, the challenge lies in identifying and targeting high-intent users who align with a brand’s objectives.

Our AI infrastructure makes predictions within milliseconds by analysing extensive data footprints, including user browsing patterns, app usage, location, interests, and order history. This data is sourced from supply exchanges and helps us serve highly relevant ads.

In earlier years, decision-making was rules-driven. In contrast, AI now allows for predictive targeting even before an ad is served, greatly improving efficiency and outcome precision.

Apart from AI, the speed and granularity of data are critical. Decisions are made in real time, often within 5 milliseconds, requiring a highly optimised tech stack.

AI has the potential to introduce algorithmic bias. In the context of advertising, how do you ensure the system does not over-prioritise short-term conversion metrics at the cost of long-term brand equity or niche user segments?

This is an important consideration. While AI is widely discussed, its real-world application remains a developing area, whether in advertising, media, or cybersecurity.

We believe the platforms that can apply AI in a scalable, industry-specific, and outcomes-driven manner will set the standard for the future. Our own ambition is to build a technology stack that reaches six to seven billion users globally. At present, we reach over two billion consumers through our platform.

To mitigate bias, we focus on continuous model training, feedback loops, and close alignment with brand objectives. Our approach ensures that long-term brand value is preserved, even as we deliver on immediate performance goals.

What are your thoughts on Web3, and how does Mobavenue view its potential in advertising or user acquisition?

Web3 presents an exciting shift in the internet’s structure. The fundamental proposition is about decentralisation, giving control back to users in terms of identity, data, and monetisation. This will impact the advertising industry significantly.

In Web2, user acquisition strategies were built on centralised data and platform-driven targeting. Web3 changes this by introducing on-chain behavior, tokenised incentives, and wallet-based identities. This requires a new set of infrastructure and technology to understand user intent in a decentralised world.

At Mobavenue, we are exploring what Web3-native advertising will look like. This includes the potential to target based on wallet activity, participation in decentralised applications, or engagement within gaming ecosystems powered by blockchain.

While it is early, the building blocks are forming. We believe any business focused on the future of digital engagement needs to understand and prepare for this paradigm shift.

Looking ahead, how do you see the advertising industry evolving? Will it increasingly rely on predictive personalisation driven by user behaviour?

The time users spend online continues to grow, while the time spent per product or platform is diminishing. This makes personalised engagement more essential than ever.

What has changed is the ability to deliver personalisation at scale. Through machine learning, we can now form micro-cohorts and tailor experiences to specific behavioural patterns, moving beyond broad demographic targeting.

Another fundamental shift is expected in the domain of media buying. While this process is still largely human-led today, we anticipate a transition toward intelligent agents that autonomously manage and optimise campaigns, operating around the clock and in real time.

Do you foresee Mobavenue launching a consumer-facing product or a marketplace that leverages your programmatic infrastructure?

Our current focus remains on a B2B2C model, building technology for businesses that engage directly with consumers. In that sense, we are already contributing to the consumer experience, albeit indirectly.

While we do not have immediate plans for a direct-to-consumer offering, we are in the process of developing global ecosystems that will enable gaming companies to acquire users using our proprietary technology. We plan to roll out this initiative within the next 12 to 18 months.