BRAVE, the radically human supply-side platform (SSP) built for precision, performance, and transparency, today (2nd February, 2026) announced the launch of its inaugural list: "The Class of 2026: 10 Rising Ad Tech Stars." This definitive list honours the technical architects, yield engineers, and operational leaders who are rebuilding the open web in an era of agentic AI and privacy-first identity. Selected by BRAVE team members, the Class of 2026 represents a fundamental shift in industry leadership.
Akhil Savani has joined the company as vice president of publisher development, while longtime OpenX leader Rebecca Bonell has been elevated to regional vice president of publisher development, The Americas. Together, they will shape OpenX's next phase of publisher growth, working with publishers to innovate and increase monetisation while driving fair value exchanges. As publishers face critical challenges, including zero-click search and advancements in large language models (LLMs), OpenX is innovating to support publisher revenue and data strategies.