Every year, Business Insider releases a list that ranks ad-tech companies by revenue. This year, BI updated their methodology to be more holistic, taking into account the problems the company is solving, its reputation within the industry, and if they're at the center of important trends.

Mike Shields reached out to me for revenue details on the company to compile the list. I used this as an opportunity to set up coffee for him and my CEO, Scott. I wanted to build up our relationship with Mike and provide more information that would potentially influence our ranking on the list.

I prepped our CEO with briefing documentation and a prep meeting prior to his sit down with Mike. The meeting was a success and led to a better relationship with Mike and our #2 ranking on the list he published (behind only Amazon).

The 19 most interesting ad-tech upstarts of 2017, ranked

#2 Integral Ad Science: Leader in Brand Safety

The more advertisers pay attention to where their ads are running and whether they can be seen, Integral becomes more important. Witness Oracle's acquisition of rival Moat for $850 million. Ad buyers and publishers praise their tech and leadership team.

Read the full list here.