Podean Expands Global Reach with Ad Advance Acquisition

On February 13th, 2026, Podean acquired Ad Advance, supported by Mountaingate Capital, expanding its global capabilities.

Ad Advance is a retail media agency specializing in full-funnel strategy and performance across Amazon, Walmart, and emerging commerce channels. Through advanced analytics and proprietary technology, the agency helps brands transform data into measurable growth. Ad Advance is headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota.

At Podean, we’re driven to unlock new growth, empower our partners, and stay one step ahead of the ever-changing needs of the industry.

An Evolving Market

eCommerce continues to grow year-over-year, projected to reach an estimated $6.9 trillion globally in 2026, with advertising emerging as one of the fastest-growing revenue drivers. Amazon’s advertising revenue alone increased 24% year over year to $17.7 billion in Q3. The application of AI to eCommerce is predicted to transform how consumers discover products, shop for them, and how brands and retailers engage with and service their customers. As the marketplace landscape rapidly evolves, brands are increasingly seeking experienced agency partners to drive performance, support global expansion, and help navigate the growing role of AI in commerce.

When Podean and Commerce Canal joined forces in August 2025, they created the largest independent, global marketplace-focused agency, built to help leading middle-market and enterprise brands navigate the accelerating growth of eCommerce, global expansion, and the transformative impact of AI through a truly holistic service offering.

Unlocking Growth

Ad Advance adds deep media expertise across Amazon DSP and 22 additional retail media networks, while significantly strengthening the Amazon relationship, particularly with the Global Growth Sales (GGS) organization. The team brings expanded technology and analytics capabilities through Ad Advance’s Streamline Technology Suite, which delivers insights and enables full-funnel retail media optimization.

This addition includes 40 new team members and 88 clients, including HexClad Cookware, Intake Breathing, Kate Farms, and Sally Beauty. Ad Advance has also built a highly trusted partnership with Amazon Ads’ Global Growth Sales team through consistent one-on-one collaboration, nationwide engagement, and practical growth tools that deliver measurable value, creating a strong and sustainable source of high-quality leads rooted in long-term trust.

Together, we strengthen our position as the largest independent, global marketplace-focused agency.

Podean’s New Competitive Advantage

We operate as an independent, eCommerce-focused partner, delivering unbiased, expert guidance centered solely on driving client growth across marketplaces. Due to our specialization, we are chosen by the world’s leading household brands.

With 260 team members across 17 countries and 5 continents, we combine global scale with local expertise, retailer relationships, and market nuance to help brands expand and win in high-growth eCommerce regions.

Our end-to-end approach supports brands across every stage of marketplace success—from strategy and catalog management to content, creative, advertising, retail operations, and analytics. Our proprietary technology suite, led by Purvey.AI, delivers unparalleled analytics and actionable insight to power human decisions and efficient scaling.

Recognized as top-tier Amazon partners and trusted collaborators with major marketplaces like Walmart, Target, MercadoLibre, and TikTok Shop, we manage brands across 100+ global marketplaces while delivering best-in-class execution, 24/7 global support, and industry-leading thought leadership that helps clients stay ahead of marketplace evolution.

For Press Inquiry:

For more information, please contact Travis Johnson, Podean Founder and Chief Executive Officer, travis@podean.com

Want to know more? Get in touch with the fastest-growing, largest global marketplace powerhouse below.