ICX Media

ICX Media was a Washington, D.C.-based data technology company founded in 2015 to help digital video creators find audiences and monetize their content. Its platform was positioned as an end-to-end system connecting independent creators with media companies, publishers and brands that could syndicate existing videos or commission new work, supported by data and analytics on audience composition. The company focused less on established YouTube stars than on the tens of thousands of early-stage independent creators building an audience across YouTube, Facebook and Amazon.

The business later centered on audience and market data for media companies, brands and agencies operating in online video and livestreaming advertising. ICX developed patented technology and algorithms using proprietary data science and artificial intelligence to enrich audience and market segments with first-, second- and third-party data, producing what it called Rich Profiles — nearly 100 million unique profiles characterized by demographic, psychographic, sentiment, interest, online behavior and cultural markers, described as CCPA-compliant and continuously re-enriched. The profiles were used to guide media buys, data-driven storytelling and co-branding campaigns. In January 2022, ICX Media was acquired by Salient Global, joining a network that also included agencies Honeymoon and timecraft, with its IP contributing to Salient's Synapse data product suite.

Founding story

The company was founded in 2015 by Michael Avon, Tom MacIsaac, Steve McCord and Joey McCord. Three of the four co-founders had previously worked together at mobile advertising company Millennial Media, where Avon was chief financial officer, Steve McCord led technology and Joey McCord led product. Avon, who had spent more than 20 years in digital marketing, technology and analytics, founded ICX on the premise that creativity, technology and data are complementary — an approach the team described as "data inspired storytelling."

Business model

ICX Media licensed its data technology and audience profiles to commercial customers, including demand-side platforms, media and entertainment companies and agencies, which used the enriched profiles for programmatic and media channel activation, media buys and co-branding campaigns. Following acquisition, the technology was folded into the acquirer's proprietary data product suite and agency services.

Traction

By the time of its January 2022 acquisition, ICX reported creating nearly 100 million unique Rich Profiles and counted leading demand-side platforms, media and entertainment companies and agencies among its customers.

Latest developments

Salient Global completed its acquisition of ICX Media, announced at CES on January 7, 2022. ICX's patented IP was designated a key contributor to Salient Synapse, the acquirer's suite of data products, alongside network companies timecraft and Honeymoon.