AdTechGod Pod Episode 75 Summary: Investing in What’s Next with Danilo Toro on AI, Startups, and Strategic Shifts
Release Date: April 22, 2025
In Episode 75 of the AdTechGod Pod, host AdTechGod engages in an insightful conversation with Danilo Toro, Managing Partner at Aperium Ventures. With an impressive trajectory spanning Procter & Gamble, Amazon Ads, and Uber Eats Advertising, Danilo shares his journey, industry insights, and visions for the future of advertising technology. This summary encapsulates the key discussions, notable quotes, and strategic conclusions drawn during their conversation.
1. Introduction
AdTechGod introduces Danilo Toro, highlighting his extensive background in leading roles at prominent organizations:
- Procter & Gamble: Former Global Director
- Amazon Ads: Head of Product
- Uber Eats Advertising: General Manager
Danilo’s recent transition to Aperium Ventures marks a new chapter focused on investing in innovative AdTech startups.
2. Danilo Toro's Background and Entry into AdTech
Danilo recounts his unconventional path into the advertising technology sector:
[01:39] Danilo Toro: “I was not planning to join the industry. I remember when I was at university, I was taking my marketing class and thought, ‘This is too fluffy. I'll never work in advertising.’”
Despite his engineering background, Danilo’s encounter with a colleague introduced him to programmatic buying and real-time bidding, sparking his interest in AdTech.
[02:00] Danilo Toro: “From there I said, ‘Oh my God, that's going to be my next job.’ So long story short, I was doing something completely different at P&G. Engineering background, got into AdTech because of the programmatic world.”
3. Transition to Global Director at Procter & Gamble
Danilo discusses his move from a product manager to the Global Director of Media Tech and Data at P&G:
[03:19] Danilo Toro: “I really love to engage with people to understand how they're thinking, what they're doing to connect, network, etc. Our industry is open to all of that.”
He highlights three main criteria that attracted him:
- Technological Aspect: The evolving technology in AdTech.
- Networking Opportunities: Engaging with professionals to drive innovation.
- Industry Coolness: The emerging nature of AdTech in 2015 made it a compelling space.
Danilo also touches on the challenges of learning industry-specific terminology, emphasizing the importance of asking questions to bridge knowledge gaps.
[04:30] Danilo Toro: “I just realized that asking two or three questions not only would help me learn more, but also understand if the person on the other side really understands what they're selling.”
4. Move to Amazon Ads
Danilo explains his transition to Amazon Ads in early 2021, driven by two key trends:
- Full Funnel Capability: Amazon’s ability to manage the entire customer journey from upper to lower funnel, leveraging purchase data.
- Connected TV (CTV): His ambition to lead CTV ad tech at Amazon.
[07:47] Danilo Toro: “My first assignment within Amazon was specifically CTV AdTech, which is okay, they have a bunch of different assets from DSP data, Clean Room, own and operated properties. How do you connect, integrate, and synchronize all of that?”
Danilo’s role involved integrating various Amazon assets to create a cohesive advertising ecosystem capable of addressing full-funnel marketing needs.
5. Leading Uber Eats Advertising
Transitioning to Uber Eats Advertising mirrored Danilo’s experience at Amazon, leveraging:
- Geolocation and Purchase Data: Enhancing targeted advertising based on user behavior.
- Marketplace Dynamics: Connecting buyers and sellers within the Uber Eats platform.
[09:43] Danilo Toro: “It's based on a marketplace, with sellers wanting to advertise to buyers who are there exactly to purchase something. So I think there was a smooth transition.”
His role as General Manager at Uber Eats Advertising focused on cross-functional growth, aligning advertising products with marketplace dynamics.
6. Joining Aperium Ventures
Danilo joined Aperium Ventures to leverage his extensive industry experience in a venture capital setting. He outlines Aperium’s strategic focus areas:
- Connected Television (CTV): Continued growth and innovation.
- Commerce Media: Expansion beyond retail to finance, travel, and more.
- Creative Tech: Transforming the creative supply chain from ideation to scaling.
- Identity: Navigating privacy concerns and building robust identity solutions.
[11:15] Danilo Toro: “AI is changing everything that is happening. So that's...”
He emphasizes the importance of investing early in technologies poised to reshape the advertising landscape over the next five to ten years.
7. Aperium Ventures 2.0 and Advisory Services
Danilo elaborates on Aperium Ventures’ evolution into “Aperium 2.0,” integrating advisory services to complement investment activities:
[13:53] Danilo Toro: “If you are involved in technology investments, you have access to the latest trends... support large clients with product strategy, go-to-market, partnership strategy.”
This advisory layer creates a synergistic flywheel, enhancing portfolio companies with market insights and strategic partnerships.
[16:20] Danilo Toro: “We created that connection and I think it was Aperium at its best, where you have an advisory client and a portfolio company coming together—one plus one equals three.”
8. Apperium Ads and Orchestration Technology
Apperium Ads serves as an orchestration layer, connecting multiple point solutions to deliver comprehensive advertising solutions:
[17:33] Danilo Toro: “Apperium Ads is a layer of orchestration. We provide a layer to help technology get to the brands and be implemented.”
Key functionalities include:
- Programmatic Supply Chain Optimization: Enhancing transparency and reducing fraud.
- Commerce Media Integration: Streamlining connections between various commerce-related media solutions.
[19:11] Danilo Toro: “We help advertisers get more transparency, potentially reduce cost, improve sustainability, etc.”
This orchestration ensures that advertisers can focus on their KPIs while Aperium manages the complex backend integrations.
9. Major Trends in AdTech
Danilo identifies several hot trends poised to transform the industry:
- Connected Television (CTV): Continued evolution and integration.
- Commerce Media: Expansion into new verticals like finance and travel.
- Creative Tech: Innovations in the creative process from ideation to scaling.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Two primary impacts:
- Workflow Simplification: Streamlining operations and democratizing technology for broader use.
- AI as a New Channel: Enabling interactive and engaging consumer-brand interactions through AI agents.
[21:37] Danilo Toro: “AI will impact the industry in two key ways... workflow simplification and AI as a new channel.”
Danilo is particularly bullish on AI’s potential to simplify complex workflows and create new avenues for consumer engagement, presenting vast opportunities for innovative business models.
10. Advice for Startups
Asking what Aperium Ventures seeks in potential investments, Danilo outlines key criteria:
- Problem-Solving Ability: Addressing specific, compelling brand problems.
- Technical Capability: Offering solutions that are not easily replicable.
- Strong Team: Demonstrating expertise and a cohesive team structure.
- Scalability: Potential to expand and adapt within the market.
[25:06] Danilo Toro: “Are you solving the right problem? Do you have the technical capability to bring a solution that cannot be easily copied?”
Aperium Ventures is open to startups across various domains, including CTV, Commerce, Creative Tech, and AI, provided they meet these foundational criteria.
11. Conclusion
The episode concludes with mutual appreciation between AdTechGod and Danilo Toro, underscoring the value of Danilo’s insights into the AdTech landscape. Danilo emphasizes Aperium Ventures’ commitment to fostering innovation through strategic investments and advisory services, positioning the firm as a pivotal player in shaping the future of advertising technology.
[26:25] Danilo Toro: “Thank you so much for having me.”
Listeners are encouraged to connect with Danilo and Aperium Ventures for opportunities and further insights into AdTech advancements.
Key Takeaways:
- Interdisciplinary Skills: Leveraging engineering expertise can open doors into AdTech.
- Strategic Transitions: Moving between buy-side and tech-side roles enhances industry understanding.
- Investment Focus: Aperium Ventures targets emerging trends like CTV, Commerce Media, Creative Tech, and AI.
- Advisory Integration: Combining investment with advisory services creates a powerful synergistic flywheel.
- AI’s Dual Role: AI is poised to simplify workflows and create new interactive channels in advertising.
This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for professionals and startups navigating the evolving landscape of advertising technology, offering valuable perspectives from a seasoned industry leader.