Scope3, the adtech emissions quantifier-turned agentic media startup helmed by programmatic pioneer Brian O’Kelley is axing more of its staff, just five months after its last round of layoffs.
Scope3 declined to confirm the exact number of laid off staffers. But the company confirmed in a statement that it made “further adjustments” to its “commercial and engineering teams to align with market demand.”
One impacted employee said they learned they were losing their job on a brief call with their manager last week. They said the news came as a surprise.
As of late 2024, the adtech company employed over 100 staffers globally, according to a blog post by O’Kelley, but that number was published prior to layoffs last year.
Two former Scope3 employees, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ADWEEK that a handful of their former colleagues left the company recently of their own accord as well.
Scope3’s spokesperson said, “We remain focused on building the agent-to-agent media infrastructure that brands need as the industry transforms.”
The company, which launched four years ago with the aim of quantifying carbon emissions across adtech supply chains, made a major pivot in 2025, with O’Kelley endorsing a new vision focused on aiding the industry’s shift to agent-to-agent media transactions.
Last spring, Scope3 launched agentic products designed for automating brand safety and suitability. O’Kelley has also helmed a nascent effort to standardize agentic media buying and selling with Ad Context Protocol, or AdCP, which has gained support from industry players including Yahoo, PubMatic, and Magnite—though adoption is not yet widespread.
