Proposed Structure Would Eliminate The Need for KNOREX to Fund AscendX’s Future Growth While Allowing KNOREX to Retain an Equity Interest in AscendX
AscendX Has Moved from Product Development into Commercial Deployment, with Live Publishers, Global Demand Integrations and a Growing Pipeline
KNOREX Ltd. , a leading provider of AI-driven cross-channel programmatic advertising solutions, announced that it is pursuing a strategic carve-out of AscendX Media Technologies Pte. Ltd. (“AscendX”), its wholly owned publisher monetization subsidiary. Under the proposed structure, AscendX would be separated and independently capitalized with investment from external investors, and KNOREX expects to retain a minority equity interest in AscendX.
The proposed carve-out is expected to enable AscendX’s growth with capital raised directly by AscendX from external investors. If completed, KNOREX expects the transaction to eliminate the need for KNOREX to fund AscendX’s future growth and allow the Company to dedicate its resources to the KNOREX XPO™ platform and other strategic priorities. Through its retained minority equity interest in AscendX, KNOREX would continue to participate in AscendX’s potential future value creation.
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A Commercially Deployed Publisher Monetization Platform
AscendX is a publisher monetization platform that helps mobile app and game studios, web publishers and other digital content owners grow advertising revenue through server-side technologies, flexible integrations and real-time yield optimization. Its technology is designed to operate alongside publishers’ existing monetization infrastructure, providing access to additional demand and greater control and transparency over monetization.
Since its formation within KNOREX in June 2025, AscendX has progressed from product development into commercial deployment:
- Live Publisher Deployments: AscendX has been deployed across 10 live publishers and more than 70 app and game bundles. In 2026 year-to-date, AscendX has supported more than 2.0 billion advertising impressions across these publishers and bundles.
- Global Audience Reach: AscendX’s publisher inventory reaches users globally, with the United States representing its largest market and meaningful reach across APAC, Europe and Latin America.
- Global Demand Integrations: AscendX supports integrations with major global advertising demand platforms, including The Trade Desk, Meta Audience Network, Microsoft Monetize, OpenX and Magnite, enabling publishers to access additional demand through AscendX’s monetization infrastructure.
- Growing Commercial Pipeline: AscendX continues to expand its commercial pipeline. Five additional leading publishers are currently in advanced commercial discussions and are expected to onboard in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to the completion of commercial agreements.
- External Investor Interest: AscendX has attracted interest from external investors, and discussions with prospective investors are ongoing.
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Strategic Rationale for Carve-Out
KNOREX believes the proposed carve-out has the potential to support strategic priorities of both AscendX and KNOREX in three key areas:
- Growth Capital for AscendX and Elimination of Funding Needs for KNOREX: External investment is expected to fund AscendX’s next stage of growth, including the expansion of its publisher base and demand integrations, eliminating the need for KNOREX to fund AscendX’s future growth.
- Continued Participation in AscendX’s Growth: Through its expected retained minority equity interest, KNOREX would continue to participate in AscendX’s potential future value creation.
- Greater Focus on the Core Business: The carve-out would allow KNOREX to direct its capital, management attention and resources to its core strategic priorities, including the KNOREX XPO™ platform, its KAIROS AI engine and its Agentic AI initiatives.
“We are seeing growing commercial momentum across our publisher relationships, demand integrations and pipeline, together with increasing interest from external investors,” said Phu Le, CEO and Co-founder of AscendX. “With dedicated capital and resources, AscendX would be able to focus fully on expanding our publisher base, deepening our demand and platform integrations, and accelerating the commercial development of our technology.”
Under the currently contemplated structure, AscendX would be independently capitalized through investment by external investors, and KNOREX is expected to hold a minority equity interest in AscendX following completion. No definitive agreements have been executed, and the structure and terms of the proposed transaction remain subject to negotiation, due diligence, the execution of definitive agreements and applicable corporate, regulatory, third-party and other approvals.
Because Mr. Le also serves as a director and Vice President of Operations of KNOREX, the proposed transaction will be reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, which is responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions. There can be no assurance that the proposed transaction will be completed as contemplated or at all. The Company intends to provide further updates regarding the proposed carve-out, including the terms of any definitive agreements, as appropriate and in accordance with applicable disclosure requirements.
