Cognitiv chief executive named EY New York finalist
Jeremy Fain, chief executive officer and co-founder of Cognitiv, has been named a New York finalist in EY US's Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 awards. He is the only advertising technology executive on this year's New York finalist list.
An independent panel selected 33 finalists based on entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and long-term value creation.
Fain founded Cognitiv in 2015 with Aaron Andalman and Marc Hudacsko. The advertising technology company has focused on applying artificial intelligence and deep learning to ad targeting and measurement.
The recognition comes as Cognitiv reports strong growth in parts of its business. Revenue from its ContextGPT product rose 388% by the end of 2025, new clients increased 67% year on year, and average return on ad spend improved 29% between the first and second halves of the year.
Earlier this year, Cognitiv introduced AudienceGPT, an AI-based product designed to move advertisers away from static audience segments toward predictive consumer journeys. The tool can be used across connected television, audio, social media and programmatic advertising channels.
Company growth
Cognitiv has expanded what it calls its Cognitiv Everywhere strategy by broadening the channels and use cases for its technology. It positions ContextGPT and AudienceGPT as tools that support marketers across both brand and performance advertising.
Advertising technology companies have faced growing pressure to show measurable results as marketers scrutinise spending more closely. That has increased demand for products that promise better targeting, clearer attribution and faster campaign adjustments across multiple media channels.
Against that backdrop, Cognitiv has been building its profile as a specialist in AI-led advertising tools. Its platform can be activated through a marketer's chosen demand-side platform, as a managed service, or through its contextual targeting product.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year programme has run for 41 years in the US. EY says this year's New York finalists come from New York and Connecticut and span industries including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, finance and life sciences.
Fain linked the recognition to the company's progress since its launch more than a decade ago. "I'm honored to be an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist representing the only advertising technology company on this year's New York list," said Jeremy Fain, chief executive officer and co-founder of Cognitiv. "When we started Cognitiv, AI was still an emerging idea in advertising. Now, our Deep Learning Platform is a core real-time decision layer for major brands and advertisers and touches every part of the industry landscape. This recognition is a testament to the powerful contextual and performance intelligence solutions our team has built, and to our customers who have used them as a foundation for their own success as we work to make advertising smarter, more accountable, and more human."
Award context
The EY programme recognises founders, chief executives and family business leaders. It assesses candidates on business development and the durability of the value they have built in their organisations.
For Cognitiv, the finalist place offers external recognition as it expands in a crowded adtech market. The sector includes large platform operators, specialist software providers and data-focused businesses competing for budgets from brands and agencies.
Many adtech companies have promoted AI in recent years, but Cognitiv has argued that deep learning should sit at the centre of media buying decisions. Its recent product launches and revenue figures suggest it is trying to turn that argument into broader commercial traction.
Founded in 1986, the Entrepreneur Of The Year programme has recognised more than 11,000 business leaders in the US and expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.