Speedeon is a data-driven marketing solutions company that helps businesses identify, understand, and engage with their target audiences. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Speedeon CEO Gerard Daher to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Gerard Daher’s Background
What is Gerard Daher’s background? Daher said:
“I’ve always believed that marketing deserves to be more intuitive, and a whole lot faster. After spending years on both the brand and agency sides, I witnessed firsthand how inefficient the process could be. So much time, budget, and creative energy was wasted wrangling messy data and waiting on slow, disconnected systems. That frustration sparked an idea: what if marketers had a data partner that truly understood their needs and moved at their pace?”
“In 2008, I took that idea and turned it into Speedeon. My goal was to reimagine what a data company could be—not just a vendor, but a partner that helps brands connect with real people in more timely, targeted, and meaningful ways. We’re not in the business of selling lists; we’re in the business of helping marketers reach the right individuals, at just the right moment, with messages that resonate so they can truly build a successful business.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Daher shared:
“Speedeon’s story begins in a modest Cleveland office, surrounded by whiteboards full of ideas that many might’ve called crazy at the time. But we had conviction and a small team that genuinely believed there was a better way to do marketing. Originally rooted in direct mail data, we quickly evolved into something far more dynamic. Today, we’re a leading engine of predictive marketing and audience intelligence, supporting national campaigns across industries like retail, insurance, financial services, D2C brands and more.”
“What started as a scrappy startup has grown into a trusted partner for brands seeking smarter, faster, and more human-centric marketing.”
Favorite Memory
What has been Daher’s favorite memory at the company? Daher reflected:
“There’s one moment that sticks with me: a major Fortune 500 brand came to us with a campaign that was floundering. They needed a win, and fast. We jumped in, overhauled their audience strategy, infused predictive targeting, and in just weeks, they shattered every benchmark they’d set. Afterward, their team called us “the best-kept secret in marketing.” That moment of seeing the joy on my team’s faces, knowing we made a measurable difference reminded me exactly why we started this company.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products? Daher explained:
“We like to say we’ve got three core superpowers that drive success for Speedeon’s clients:
Audience Intelligence – We offer hundreds of pre-built and customizable audiences built around lifestyle signals, intent, life events, and more. Everything is privacy-safe and performance-driven.
Predictive Modeling – Our in-house data scientists build bespoke models that anticipate which consumers are most likely to convert—so brands can spend smarter and reduce waste.
Activation & Strategy – From direct mail to digital, we bring campaigns to life across all channels. Our AudienceMaker™ platform gives marketers instant, self-serve access to high-performing audiences so they can execute faster and smarter.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Daher and the team face in building the company? Daher acknowledged:
“Early on, one of our biggest challenges was convincing large brands that a mid-sized company like ours could outpace the industry giants. We didn’t have the name recognition, but we had something more valuable: a relentless work ethic, a sharp strategic lens, and results that spoke for themselves. It wasn’t always easy, but over time, our performance earned trust—and referrals. That’s how we grew.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved over time? Daher noted:
“What started as a data-first company has become a technology-forward powerhouse. With the launch of AudienceMaker, we empowered marketers and agencies to plan, test, and activate audiences with unprecedented speed. Our integrations with platforms like LiveRamp have further accelerated our ability to serve audiences across digital, CTV, programmatic, and retail media channels. We’ve moved beyond data delivery and now we’re powering real-time marketing orchestration.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Daher cited:
— 2022: Launched AudienceMaker, our strategic growth platform with world-class on-demand modeling capabilities
— 2023: Earned recognition as a Top 3 data provider by Truthset for quality and accuracy.
— 2025: Surpassed 1000 syndicated audiences in the LiveRamp Data Marketplace.
Customer Success Stories
When asking Daher about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“Speedeon has partnered with incredible brands to drive customer acquisition and retention, from FanDuel to HelloFresh to Williams Sonoma. One of our favorite use cases involved a luxury home goods brand. They had been crushing it online, but digital costs were getting out of hand, and their new customers weren’t sticking. They’d never tried direct mail and figured it was too intensive and perhaps off-brand. They tapped into our data to reach affluent new mover and the results were incredible. They had nearly a 7X return on ad spend and higher order values. They were blown away. And it’s these stories that remind us that when used strategically, data isn’t just a tool—it’s a growth engine.”
Growth/Revenue
When asking about the company’s growth/revenue, he revealed:
“We’re a privately held company experiencing strong, sustained growth. While we don’t disclose specific numbers, let’s just say our clients’ wins have a direct impact on ours, and business has never been better.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market is the company pursuing? Daher assessed:
“Our solutions support nearly any vertical that needs to reach real people—not just cookies or proxies. We’re squarely focused on a $20B+ addressable market in the U.S. across direct mail, digital media, retail media, and identity-based targeting.”
Differentiation From The Competition
When differentiates the company from its competition? Daher affirmed:
“In a sea of generic, slow-moving data providers, Speedeon stands out. We’re fast, marketer-minded, and laser-focused on performance. Our data is curated by our data science team from the best of the best data sets and continually validated for accuracy by third parties. Our turnaround times are best-in-class, and we even put the power directly into the hands of marketers and agencies with our purpose-built AudienceMaker platform. And our strategy team is hands-on—available when you need us, not when it’s convenient. That responsiveness and reliability is why our clients stay, and why they keep referring us to others.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Daher concluded:
“We’re committed to keeping performance marketers and agencies ahead of the curve. That means investing in more self-serve tools, expanding data partnerships, and refining our predictive capabilities. We’re also diving deeper into measurement because marketers need to prove impact, not just execute. The future of data is about precision, speed, and adaptability, and we’re building for all of it.”
