Microsoft Invest

Enterprise-grade DSP with premium open-web and CTV inventory access, backed by Microsoft data assets; a major player in the programmatic buying ecosystem until its 2026 shutdown.

Microsoft Invest was a demand-side platform (DSP) that traced its lineage through one of the most storied acquisition chains in AdTech history: from AppNexus, one of the industry's pioneering independent ad tech companies, through AT&T's Xandr rebrand, and ultimately to Microsoft following its acquisition of Xandr in 2021. Under Microsoft's ownership, the platform was rebranded from Xandr Invest to Microsoft Invest and positioned as a premium programmatic buying tool for agencies, trading desks, and sophisticated advertisers seeking access to open web inventory, curated marketplaces, and advanced audience targeting capabilities. At its peak, Microsoft Invest offered a comprehensive suite of programmatic buying tools including real-time bidding across display, video, native, and connected TV inventory, alongside robust audience segmentation, deal curation via the Xandr Marketplace, and cross-screen measurement. The platform benefited from AppNexus's deep technical infrastructure and Microsoft's data assets, including LinkedIn and Microsoft Graph signals, giving buyers differentiated targeting options particularly valuable for B2B and enterprise-focused campaigns. It competed directly with The Trade Desk, DV360, and Amazon DSP in the enterprise programmatic space. Microsoft announced the sunset of Microsoft Invest with a shutdown date of February 28, 2026, citing a strategic decision to concentrate resources on Microsoft Advertising's native search, shopping, and audience products rather than maintaining a standalone open-web DSP. The closure marked the end of a platform that had been central to the programmatic ecosystem for nearly two decades, and customers were advised to migrate their audiences, campaigns, and data to alternative DSPs ahead of the deadline. The shutdown effectively concluded the AppNexus DSP legacy that had shaped modern programmatic advertising infrastructure.