Waymark

High-Level Overview

Waymark is an advertising technology company that builds an AI-powered platform for creating professional video ads. It enables sales teams, media companies, and agencies to generate broadcast-ready commercials in seconds using a business's website URL, brand assets, logos, and natural-language inputs, solving the problem of slow, expensive video production for local SMBs and broadcasters.[1][3][4][5] The platform serves media outlets like CBS, Fox TV Stations, Spectrum Reach, E.W. Scripps, Sinclair, and others, powering spec ad sales, customized creative, and scalable production to boost revenue in competitive advertising markets; since its 2023 platform launch, Waymark has achieved rapid growth, earning a spot on the Financial Times' list of fastest-growing U.S. companies in 2024.[1][4]

Origin Story

Waymark, originally known as Stik, was founded in 2012 in Detroit, Michigan, at the intersection of media, design, and emerging technology.[1][4] The company relaunched as Waymark in 2017 under CEO Alex Persky-Stern and VP of Revenue Hayden Gilmer, who lead a team focused on AI-driven video tools; it evolved from early video ad production to a generative AI platform in 2023, incorporating a patented ensemble of 13 AI models for scriptwriting, visuals, voiceover, and editing.[1][3][4][5] Pivotal traction came from partnerships with major broadcasters like CBS across 27 U.S. stations, followed by deals with Spectrum Reach, Fox, Scripps, Sinclair, Cox Media, Gray Media, Beasley, Nine Entertainment in Australia, and National World in the UK, fueling national rollouts and recognition as a high-growth firm.[1][3]

Core Differentiators

• AI-Powered Instant Creation: Generates fully produced, on-brand video ads in seconds from a website URL alone, using 13 proprietary AI models to scrape content, write scripts, add visuals, brand colors, logos, synthetic voiceover, and audio—eliminating manual production.[3][5]
• Sales Enablement for Spec Ads: Allows media sales teams to create personalized previews on-the-spot for every prospect, bundling affordable creative with radio/streaming packages to close deals faster and meet revenue goals in tough markets.[1][3]
• Intuitive Editing and Customization: Features smart scriptwriting, an easy editing suite for fine-tuning scenes/text, and plug-and-play integrations, empowering non-experts while supporting creative pros.[5]
• Scalability and Affordability: Delivers broadcast-quality output at low cost, with "Humans at the Helm" philosophy enhancing human creativity; outperforms manual processes in speed and volume.[3][4]

(Note: Distinct from unrelated entities like Waymark Tech for AI regulatory compliance in finance/life sciences or Waymark in healthcare data science.[2][6][7])

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Waymark rides the generative AI wave transforming advertising, where tools like its platform address video creative bottlenecks amid declining traditional ad spends and rising demand for personalized, scalable content for TV, streaming, and digital.[1][3] Timing aligns with AI adoption in media—post-2023 launch, it capitalizes on broadcasters' needs for SMB-targeted ads in fragmented markets, with partnerships amplifying reach across U.S., Australia, and UK outlets.[1] Market forces like AI cost reductions and radio/streaming convergence favor it, enabling stations to compete with digital giants by offering instant, bundled creative that drives local revenue; Waymark influences the ecosystem by democratizing pro-grade production, boosting sales efficiency, and setting standards for AI-media integrations.[3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Waymark is poised to expand its AI video platform into more global media networks and digital channels, leveraging its FT-recognized growth to integrate advanced features like deeper personalization or multi-platform optimization. Trends in generative AI refinement, SMB digital shifts, and media consolidation will propel it, potentially evolving from sales-tool leader to full ad-tech stack provider. As AI empowers "anyone who can type" to rival agency output, Waymark's trajectory underscores how targeted tech revives local advertising vitality.[3][4][5]