# illumin

> Toronto-based illumin is a public advertising-technology company that combines media planning, programmatic buying, audience data, cross-channel execution and live measurement in one visual platform. Founded as AcuityAds in 2009, it launched its journey-advertising Canvas in 2020 and adopted the product's name company-wide in 2023. The pitch is practical: replace a thicket of disconnected campaign line items with a map marketers can inspect, change and measure while the money is still being spent.

- **Founded:** 2009
- **Headquarters:** Toronto, Canada
- **Founders:** Tal Hayek (Co-founder and CEO), Nathan Mekuz (Co-founder and former VP of Artificial Intelligence), Rachel Kapcan (Co-founder and Chief Product Officer), Joe Ontman (Co-founder and former Chief Business Development Officer)
- **Team size:** Approximately 250 employees in supplied company data; LinkedIn lists 201-500 employees.
- **Products:** Programmatic Marketing Platform, illumin Canvas, illuminX, illumin Forecasting, Live incrementality and brand-lift measurement
- **Notable:** Surpassed C$10 million in revenue in 2013 and C$100 million in 2019., Listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in 2014, graduated to the Toronto Stock Exchange, and completed a U.S. Nasdaq listing and public offering in 2021; the shares now trade on TSX and OTCQB., Acquired 140 Proof in 2016, Visible Measures in 2017, and Adman Media and Magnetic assets in 2018 to deepen social, video, audience-data and supply capabilities.

## Products & services

- **Programmatic Marketing Platform** — Media buying and campaign management across display, video, connected TV, mobile, native, audio, social and digital out-of-home, offered through managed and self-service models.
- **illumin Canvas** — A visual, drag-and-drop workspace for mapping audiences, messages, conditions and channels across the marketing funnel, then executing and reporting from the same plan.
- **illuminX** — A real-time marketplace connecting media buyers and media owners across screens and formats; it underpins the company's Exchange service revenue.
- **illumin Forecasting** — An in-platform scenario tool for estimating reach, spend and impact across multiple tactics and channels before a campaign launches.
- **Live incrementality and brand-lift measurement** — In-flight outcome measurement, including an embedded Cint integration, designed to show incremental and brand effects soon enough to adjust active campaigns.
- **Audience and identity intelligence** — Identity-graph and privacy-conscious audience capabilities augmented by partners including FSBD and Audience Acuity.

## Achievements

- Surpassed C$10 million in revenue in 2013 and C$100 million in 2019.
- Listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in 2014, graduated to the Toronto Stock Exchange, and completed a U.S. Nasdaq listing and public offering in 2021; the shares now trade on TSX and OTCQB.
- Acquired 140 Proof in 2016, Visible Measures in 2017, and Adman Media and Magnetic assets in 2018 to deepen social, video, audience-data and supply capabilities.
- Launched the illumin journey-advertising platform in 2020 and renamed the company after it in 2023.
- Named an AdExchanger Programmatic Power Player in 2021.
- Included in The Globe and Mail's Women Lead Here 2025 benchmark.
- Reported record quarterly revenue of C$50.2 million in Q2 2026, up 52% year over year.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Reported record Q2 revenue of C$50.2 million, up 52% year over year, with C$2.0 million adjusted EBITDA and C$19 thousand net income.
- **2026-07** — Partnered with Audience Acuity to embed deterministic identity intelligence; the partner chose illumin as its preferred DSP.
- **2026-05** — Embedded Cint self-service brand-lift measurement into campaign setup, with the companies saying studies can launch up to 90% faster.
- **2026-04** — Co-founder Tal Hayek returned as CEO after Simon Cairns stepped down.
- **2026-03** — Partnered with FSBD to add privacy-safe audience intelligence and postal-code modeling.
- **2026-01** — Released an upgrade focused on live incrementality and direct links between programmatic activity and business outcomes.
- **2025-10** — Introduced a new brand identity and workflow upgrades, claiming campaigns could launch up to 40% faster.
- **2025-05** — Launched illumin Forecasting for multi-channel campaign scenario planning.

## Links

- Website: https://illumin.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/illuminhq
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/illuminhq
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@illuminHQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminhq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illuminhq

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/illumin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-23