Innovid tops QKS AdTech report for leading AI-driven maturity
QKS Group has identified Innovid by Mediaocean as the Most Valuable Pioneer (MVP) in its 2025 AI Maturity Matrix: AdTech, recognising the platform for its approach to embedding artificial intelligence across the advertising technology landscape.
The latest report from QKS Group, a research and advisory firm, introduces what it describes as a first-of-its-kind AI maturity model designed specifically for AdTech. This model aims to differentiate between platforms that are genuinely AI-native and those that are only retrofitting AI capabilities.
AI integration assessment
The QKS AI Maturity Curve evaluates AdTech vendors on five dimensions: AI vision and roadmap, execution maturity, embedded generative AI, governance and transparency, and integration. These criteria are intended to help organisations assess the operational depth of AI in advertising platforms, going beyond surface-level claims.
"The rapid proliferation of 'AI-powered' claims across the advertising technology (AdTech) sector has created a significant disconnect between perceived innovation and actual functional depth," said Richa Choubey, Senior Analyst at QKS Group. "Many vendors today talk about AI, but few operationalize it in ways that deliver real-time decisioning, contextual optimization, and autonomous orchestration. The AI Maturity Matrix helps cut through that noise by anchoring AI in real process value."
Industry trends
The QKS report outlines the transition of AdTech from static automation to dynamic, agentic process orchestration. According to QKS, the transformation requires platforms to embed AI throughout design, execution, analysis, and continuous campaign improvement rather than isolated implementation.
Evaluated AI capabilities in the report include generative AI-based content customisation, ethical governance frameworks, data strategies focused on first-party data and consent management, customer adoption metrics, as well as the provider's AI vision, leadership, and partnerships.
Innovid by Mediaocean was recognised as the Most Valuable Pioneer for its comprehensive application of AI throughout the full advertising lifecycle. The platform integrates creative and content optimisation, cross-channel delivery, campaign measurement, and dynamic budget reallocation. QKS maintains that these functions contribute to improved campaign performance, personalisation at scale, and maintained transparency in settings with limited access to third-party identifiers, such as a cookieless environment.
"Innovid's recognition as the Most Valuable Pioneer underlines a pivotal shift in advertising technology. It reflects the transition from fragmented, siloed use cases of AI to a fully embedded intelligence layer that governs the entire advertising campaign lifecycle. Innovid is not simply applying AI to optimize workflows rather it's orchestrating scale and outcomes in real time, enabling advertisers and marketers to navigate complexity with precision, efficiency, and measurable impact. This positions the platform as a benchmark for the future of autonomous advertising ecosystems," said Richa Choubey, Senior Analyst at QKS Group.
Platform response
Responding to the MVP recognition, Innovid by Mediaocean's Chief Executive Officer and Founder Zvika Netter stated:
"AI should not be treated as a one-off feature or siloed add-on. For advertising, AI must be embedded into the core of how campaigns are created, delivered, measured, and optimized. This recognition validates our commitment to building AI into every layer of the ad stack. AI is about enabling smarter workflows, surfacing deeper insights, and improving transparency and effectiveness across the ecosystem."
QKS Group's report is aimed at decision-makers in marketing technology, advertising, media, and those responsible for technology procurement. It provides guidance on aligning enterprise AI objectives with vendor capabilities during the selection process.
The research also sets out expectations for the near-term development of AI in AdTech, projecting that by 2028, platforms will broadly adopt self-steering capabilities, with Innovid identified as already integrating the intelligence needed to support such advancements.