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§ Private Profile · New York City, NY, USA
Adblock recovery software that bypasses ad blockers for digital publishers, recovering lost ad revenue from dark traffic.
Ad-Shield is a New York and Seoul-based software company that develops proprietary adblock recovery technology to help digital publishers detect and monetize invisible dark traffic. The platform utilizes a virtual layer to bypass aggressive adblockers while adhering to Better Ads Standards, enabling media outlets to successfully serve advertisements and recover over 90 percent of ad-blocked impressions. Operating on a business-to-business software-as-a-service model, the system addresses a global market of approximately 700 million dark traffic users. Publishers implementing the software development kit report daily advertising revenue increases of 8 to 15 percent through revenue sharing agreements. The enterprise has raised $2 million in Pre-Series A funding, which was backed by institutional investors including Shorooq Partners, Bass Investment, and Hashed. Ad-Shield was originally founded in 2019 by co-founders Junho Hahm, Joon Yu, and Dustin Cha.
Ad-Shield has raised $2.8M across 2 funding rounds.
Ad-Shield has raised $2.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Ad-Shield is a technology company that builds proprietary adblock recovery software to help online publishers measure and monetize "dark traffic"—unmeasured web traffic from adblock users, browsers, extensions, VPNs, and network-level blockers that evades traditional analytics and monetization.[1][2][4] It serves open web publishers and ad management companies most exposed to this issue, solving the problem of lost revenue from adblockers by serving non-intrusive, compliant ads on a virtual layer atop the browser that blockers cannot reach, with publishers reporting 8-15% daily ad revenue increases and recovery of 3-7x more revenue than legacy solutions.[1][2][4] The solution requires only a single-line script integration, targets ads exclusively to adblock users without impacting non-blocker traffic, and operates on a pay-if-you-earn model with no upfront costs.[4] Built across New York and Seoul, Ad-Shield has raised over $2M in funding and demonstrated strong growth through beta testing and client results in Europe, Asia, and its ongoing US rollout.[2][5]
Ad-Shield was founded by CEO Joon Yu and Chief Strategy Officer Dustin Cha, who originally set out to develop adblocking software as former adblocker developers and users themselves.[1][2] The pivotal "aha moment" came during an interaction with the owner of a struggling Korean gaming website barely surviving on limited ad revenue, highlighting how their adblock tech was harming smaller publishers and even causing site shutdowns.[2] This led to a complete business pivot after 10 months of beta testing: instead of blocking ads, they launched adblock recovery software in 2023 (based on announcement timing), turning their insider knowledge of blockers into a solution that benefits publishers, adblock users, and advertisers mutually.[1][2] Early traction was strong, with existing clients in Europe and Asia—including the inspiring Korean site—reporting revenue gains, fueling the US expansion.[2]
(Note: Search results distinguish this Ad-Shield from a separate, smaller adblocker entity at adshield.me, which offers traditional blocking.[3])
Ad-Shield rides the surging trend of adblock proliferation, where over a billion users (~18% of internet traffic) hide behind blockers, browsers, VPNs, and apps, creating massive "dark traffic" that cripples publisher monetization amid rising privacy demands and zero-party data shifts.[2][4] Timing is ideal as publishers face shutdown risks from unmonetized audiences, while regulators push GDPR-compliant tools—Ad-Shield's virtual layer and opt-outs position it perfectly for this.[2] Market forces like maturing adtech (e.g., precise dark traffic measurement) and publisher desperation for recovery solutions favor it, especially versus failing legacy detectors.[4] By enabling 90%+ revenue recovery and fostering win-win ecosystems (publishers gain revenue, users get non-intrusive ads, advertisers access premium audiences), Ad-Shield influences the ecosystem toward sustainable ad models, potentially reducing outright adblocker arms races.[1][2][5]
Ad-Shield is poised for scaled US growth post-beta, with plans for advertiser-publisher tools to directly engage adblock audiences in GDPR-safe ways, building on proven 8-15% revenue lifts and $2M+ funding.[2][5] Trends like escalating adblock adoption (hitting 1B+ users), privacy-focused browsers, and AI-driven ad evasion will amplify demand for its dark traffic expertise, while expansions into personalization and paywalls could diversify revenue.[1][4] Its influence may evolve from recovery specialist to ecosystem enabler, bridging publishers and high-value users—if it sustains tech edge amid competitors. This pivot from adblock creators to saviors underscores Ad-Shield's core strength: turning industry pain into mutual gain.[1][2]
Ad-Shield has raised $2.8M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in February 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2024 | $2M Seed | Shane (you Keun) Shin | Hashed, Primer Sazze Partners, White Star Capital, Bass Investment | Announced |
| Feb 1, 2022 | $830K Seed | — | Hashed, Primer Sazze Partners, White Star Capital | Announced |
Ad-Shield has raised $2.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Ad-Shield's investors include Shane (You Keun) Shin, Hashed, Primer Sazze Partners, White Star Capital, Bass Investment.