Buymedia, the AI-powered advertising specialist ranked Ireland’s fourth fastest-growing company, has been confirmed as a Prolific North Partner for 2026.
The adtech firm officially launched its UK base in Manchester in 2025, investing £1.5 million and creating 30 jobs over three years at its hub in the city’s £1.7bn science and technology innovation district.
Founded in 2015 by CEO Fergal O’Connor, Buymedia’s mission is to “democratise advertising” and level the playing field between multinational brands, SMEs and independent agencies. The platform uses artificial intelligence to help businesses make smarter advertising decisions, identifying where their audiences are – whether on TV, radio, social media or online – and optimising spend to ensure maximum impact.
The company already works with hundreds of clients in Ireland and the UK, where it has climbed from eighth to fourth place in the Deloitte Fast 50 list of fastest-growing companies in just three years. Buymedia now aims to replicate that trajectory in the UK.
O’Connor said Manchester’s combination of world-class universities, a collaborative business community, a thriving SME sector and a culture of innovation made it the natural choice for the company’s first UK office.
Buymedia’s UK growth strategy will see the company recruit local talent, deepen relationships with universities and agencies, and gather customer feedback to refine its product for the UK market. O’Connor’s ambition is to see 80% of SMEs in the UK using Buymedia to improve their advertising return.
Fergal O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Buymedia, said: “Our mission at Buymedia is to democratise advertising by using AI-driven data to help SMEs gain access to insights and optimisation tools, that were once the preserve of big agencies and big budgets.
“We chose our UK head office to be in Manchester, a city fuelled by creativity, innovation and collaboration. Our strategic partnership with Prolific North, known as the go-to platform for the creative, marketing and tech sector, aligns perfectly with our goal to reach marketers in the north west of England and beyond. We want to help independent agencies and SMEs looking for a greater return on investment for their marketing budget and who want to see the benefits of joined-up data, connected intelligence and create a culture of continuous learning.”
Buymedia joins the likes of Bruntwood SciTech, Better Placed, HUB and Print.com in becoming a Prolific North Partner for 2026.
Partners get the chance to feature on Prolific North throughout the year, join awards ceremonies, be a part of key industry events and contribute to wider conversations within the industry.
To discuss getting involved for 2026, please email [email protected]
