Topsort partners with Skai to expand global retail media reach

Artificial intelligence-powered retail media infrastructure company Topsort has formed a strategic partnership with Skai, positioning the collaboration as the first API integration to deliver access to Topsort's extensive portfolio of retail media networks through a unified global platform. The partnership, announced on September 23, 2025, enables advertisers to reach previously difficult-to-access markets through Skai's established commerce media infrastructure.

According to the companies, Skai becomes the first API partner to access Topsort's network of retailers, marketplaces, and delivery applications spanning over 40 countries worldwide. The integration eliminates operational silos by bringing Topsort's retail media inventory into the same platform brands use to manage global commerce advertising campaigns. This unified approach addresses persistent campaign management complexity that has limited advertiser adoption of retail media platforms beyond major players.

Topsort's infrastructure operates through its self-serve interface called Toppie, which uses AI-powered optimization to automatically reallocate advertising budgets toward highest-performing placements across retailers within specific regions. The system connects with international retailers and marketplaces including Poshmark, DoorDash, JustEatTakeaway, Cencosud, and LG Electronics, according to the announcement.

Skai's platform operates through Celeste, its GenAI marketing agent designed specifically for commerce media environments. The system combines digital marketing capabilities with commerce insights and operations, enabling marketing teams to streamline workflows, identify growth opportunities, and respond to market changes in real-time. The platform serves over 8,000 brands and agencies, including PepsiCo, Sanofi, and Estée Lauder, while integrating with over 300 publishers and retail media networks.

"This partnership creates an opportunity for brands to engage with entirely new audiences in the fastest-growing commerce markets worldwide," said Matt Vignieri, Chief Growth Officer at Skai. "With Topsort's reach now available through Skai, advertisers can discover fresh growth opportunities with the scale, efficiency, and visibility they expect from our platform."

The technical integration allows Skai clients to manage Topsort campaigns alongside broader commerce media investments through capabilities including bulk campaign creation, automated auditing and alerts, cross-channel reporting, and rules-based optimizations within a single interface. This approach provides brands with privacy-safe access to high-performing inventory and audiences at scale across international markets.

Regina Ye, CEO and co-founder of Topsort, emphasized the partnership's alignment with accessibility goals. "Skai shares our mission of making powerful retail media accessible, efficient, and privacy-safe," Ye said. "We're excited to partner with them to open new markets worldwide and support a new wave of advertisers ready to grow."

The collaboration addresses fragmentation challenges that have historically hindered retail media growth by eliminating the need for separate campaign management across multiple retail media networks. This streamlined approach mirrors broader industry consolidation trends, as retail media partnerships have evolved with brands increasingly working with multiple networks. European research indicates brands working with four to six retail media networks doubled from 10% to 24%, signaling clear diversification strategies among advertisers.

The partnership's timing coincides with significant expansion in programmatic retail media capabilities across the industry. Recent developments include Criteo's selection as the first onsite retail media partner for Google Search Ads 360, demonstrating platform interoperability trends. Similarly, retail media networks have embraced real-time bidding for sponsored products, with partnerships like Pentaleap and Teads delivering programmatic solutions across multiple retail networks.

Topsort's infrastructure supports retailers across diverse geographic markets, with teams based in 13 countries and customers in over 40 countries worldwide. The company positions itself as democratizing "Silicon Valley's monetization secrets" through AI and auction-based technology designed for retailers and marketplaces seeking to establish retail media programs.

Skai operates from San Francisco headquarters with nine international offices, providing commerce media platform services that integrate media planning, optimization, and measurement capabilities. The platform incorporates unified data and proprietary GenAI to deliver full-funnel media solutions, plus insights and automation designed to improve digital shelf performance, retail execution, and revenue recovery.

The partnership enables measurement and attribution capabilities across online and offline purchase conversions, allowing brands to evaluate advertising effectiveness beyond traditional digital metrics. Campaign tracking includes customer journey progression from advertisement exposure through final transaction completion, providing comprehensive performance data for optimization and budget allocation decisions.

This development reflects broader retail media infrastructure consolidation, where technology providers increasingly target underserved advertiser segments through automation and unified workflows. Recent partnerships demonstrate similar approaches, including Best Buy's selection of Magnite as its exclusive supply-side platform for programmatic advertising expansion and MediaMarktSaturn's launch of its first offsite retail media program with Unlimitail.

The integration positions both companies to capitalize on continued retail media sector expansion. Industry projections indicate retail media networks will exceed $300 billion by 2030, representing approximately 20% of total global advertising revenue. The collaboration provides infrastructure for brands seeking operational efficiency improvements while accessing diverse international retail media inventory through established platform relationships.

For marketing organizations, the partnership represents a potential solution to operational complexity challenges associated with managing multiple retail media platform relationships. By enabling unified campaign management through Skai's existing interface, the integration reduces workflow friction while expanding inventory access across Topsort's international network of retailers and marketplaces.

The announcement reflects strategic positioning within the rapidly expanding commerce media landscape, where unified platform access has become increasingly valuable for advertisers managing complex multi-market campaigns. The partnership's success will likely influence competitive responses from other retail media infrastructure providers seeking similar integration partnerships with established advertising platforms.

Timeline

• September 23, 2025: Topsort and Skai announce partnership enabling API access to retail media networks across 40+ countries
• September 19, 2025: Best Buy partners with Magnite to scale programmatic advertising reach through exclusive supply-side platform collaboration
• September 2025: MediaMarktSaturn launches first offsite retail media program with Unlimitail during DMEXCO in Cologne
• July 31, 2025: Retail media partnerships evolve as brands work with multiple networks, with European research showing diversification trends
• July 30, 2025: Criteo and WPP Media launch commerce-driven CTV activation connecting CTV campaigns with commerce outcomes
• July 25, 2025: Retail media networks embrace RTB for sponsored products through Pentaleap and Teads partnership
• July 17, 2025: Criteo and Mirakl Ads launch global integration for marketplace revenue targeting third-party advertisers
• July 9, 2025: Innovid unveils retail media tools for onsite and offsite campaigns targeting fastest-growing ad category
• March 18, 2024: Google's Search Ads 360 integrates retail media adding offsite capabilities
• December 4, 2024: PubMatic and DIGITS partner to transform local grocery retail media advertising launching with Fareway Stores

Summary

Who: Topsort, an AI and auction-based retail media infrastructure company, partnered with Skai, the leading omnichannel advertising platform for commerce media. Key executives include Regina Ye, CEO and co-founder of Topsort, and Matt Vignieri, Chief Growth Officer at Skai.

What: The first API partnership enabling advertisers to access Topsort's extensive portfolio of retail media networks through Skai's unified global platform. The integration provides bulk campaign creation, automated auditing, cross-channel reporting, and rules-based optimizations within a single interface.

When: The partnership was announced on September 23, 2025, for immediate implementation allowing Skai clients to manage Topsort campaigns alongside broader commerce media investments.

Where: The collaboration spans Topsort's network of retailers, marketplaces, and delivery applications across over 40 countries worldwide, with Skai operating from San Francisco headquarters and nine international offices.

Why: The partnership addresses campaign management complexity and operational silos that have limited advertiser adoption of retail media platforms beyond major players, enabling brands to access previously hard-to-reach markets through established commerce media infrastructure while capitalizing on retail media sector expansion projected to exceed $300 billion by 2030.