Northbeam is a marketing intelligence platform that helps e-commerce brands spend their ad budgets more wisely. Founded in 2019, it stands out by using first-party data and machine learning to offer clear insights into how customers behave.
Northbeam started when its founders noticed a big problem in e-commerce marketing: too much money wasted on ads that didn’t work. Austin Harrison (CEO), Dan Huang, and Grant Margerum joined forces to create a better solution. They brought together data scientists, engineers, and marketers to build tools that track customer journeys across devices and channels without using cookies.
The company is based in San Francisco, with some presence in El Segundo, California. It currently has between 11 and 50 employees, peaking at 80-100. Northbeam focuses on direct-to-consumer (DTC) and e-commerce brands, offering products like Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), Media Mix Modeling (MMM+), Profit Benchmarks, and Creative Analytics. These tools use machine learning to link ad views, clicks, and sales, helping marketers work more efficiently while respecting privacy. Northbeam raised $15 million in funding, enabling quick scaling. From day one, the goal was simple: help brands cut waste and boost profits by understanding what drives sales.
Founders and CEO
Austin Harrison, the CEO and co-founder, is a serial entrepreneur who saw the flaws in traditional marketing tools and pushed for a fresh approach. His leadership centers on practical solutions based on real e-commerce challenges.
Dan Huang and Grant Margerum round out the founding team. Huang brings deep expertise in AI and machine learning. Early on, he worked on Twitter’s trending algorithm and later led engineering at MTailor, where he used AI to reduce returns by 20% and grow revenue 15 times. Together, Harrison, Huang, and Margerum created Northbeam’s “Universal Attribution” model, which uses first-party data, machine learning, and custom analysis.
Leadership Approach
Austin Harrison leads with a hands-on, problem-solving approach. He started Northbeam after noticing “far too much marketing budget wasted,” so his style is straightforward and focused on results. Rather than making big promises, he focuses on building tools that work in real life, like connecting customer data across channels to reveal true performance.
The team reflects this approach: engineers like Kirill Klimuk (VP of Engineering) and data experts like Bryan Whiting manage the tech side, while growth leaders like Bryan Bumgardner help customers grow. Harrison encourages a culture of clarity and efficiency, often sharing LinkedIn updates about data-driven decisions that “lengthen your runway.” The environment is collaborative but decisive, with everyone focused on making marketing simpler and more profitable.
This approach also applies to employees like Tyler Yee, Director of Customer Experience, and Josh Rad, Principal Technical Product Manager, who focus on offering support that feels personal and practical, helping brands avoid guesswork.
Practical Experience
Northbeam’s tools result from years of hands-on work on e-commerce challenges. Harrison and Huang drew on their own successes: Huang’s AI wins at MTailor showed how tech could transform returns and growth, while Harrison’s entrepreneurial background highlighted pitfalls in ad spend. The platform replaces old last-click models with Multi-Touch Attribution, which tracks full customer paths using first-party signals. Add-ons like Apex (an ad-platform integrator) and Clicks + Deterministic Views (launched in 2025) connect views and clicks to revenue across platforms. Brands use this to optimize spend, say, spotting which creatives or channels truly pay off.
Real-world proof: Northbeam helps DTC leaders by analyzing metrics like profit benchmarks and product performance. This isn’t just theory; it’s created by people who have managed media buys and grown businesses themselves.
Key Achievements
Since 2019, Northbeam has become a trusted name in e-commerce measurement. It introduced features like MMM+ for advanced modeling and Profit Benchmarks to help brands compare themselves to peers. In October 2025, they launched the industry’s first Clicks + Deterministic Views model, giving marketers a full revenue picture even without cookies.
The company has over 6,000 LinkedIn followers, showing trust in its insights. The $15 million funding helped it grow to 20-100 employees at peak times. It’s praised for future-proofing marketing amid privacy changes. Brands say they get clearer insights into buying behavior, which leads to better strategies and profitable growth.
Notably, Northbeam shifted e-commerce away from relying on cookies toward more accurate machine learning, helping teams make decisions that stand the test of time.
Impact on Efficiency
Northbeam makes projects more efficient by cutting through data noise. Traditional tools miss cross-device journeys, but Northbeam’s MTA and MMM+ reveal them so brands can spend on what really works. For example, Creative Analytics shows which ads convert best, saving time on weak campaigns.
This leads to real benefits: less waste, faster growth, and higher profits. In a crowded market, it helps teams focus on growth instead of guesswork, quickly moving budgets from underperforming ads to winners. E-commerce pros call it their “secret weapon” for handling data changes.
Personal Value
Austin Harrison’s style is warm and relatable; he writes like he’s chatting with a fellow marketer frustrated by waste. No buzzwords, just honest stories about building from pain points. He values calm consistency, as seen in team posts about “working ON your business while we work IN it.”
Dan Huang brings a builder’s focus: precise AI that delivers clear results, as seen in his success at MTailor. Together with Grant Margerum, they keep things simple and approachable, focusing on user-friendly tools instead of complexity.
Looking ahead, Northbeam plans to expand its lead in attribution technology. As privacy laws get stricter, their focus on first-party data gives them an advantage. They aim to add more integrations, like expanding Apex and building new models to track emerging channels.
Harrison says they’ll help brands “succeed in this ever-changing environment,” likely through AI improvements and broader e-commerce support. As of 2026, they’re promoting Profit Benchmarks and analytics to empower even small teams, aiming for steady growth.
NorthNorthbeam shows that smart, simple tools can transform marketing. Led by Harrison, Huang, and Margerum, it’s a partner for efficient, profitable projects, with practical experience delivering real results.
