Strengthening the Core: Two New Platforms, a Unified Technology Team, and a CTO Built for What Comes Next
Podean, the world’s largest independent marketplace focused growth partner, today announced the appointment of serial tech entrepreneur and former Amazon executive, Sarang Fegde, as Chief Technology Officer and member of the Board of Directors.
The announcement accompanies Podean’s acquisition of Sarang’s technology ventures, Optimizeads.ai and HypeLinks, the fifth in nine months, further accelerating Podean’s investment in AI, retail media innovation, and marketplace technology infrastructure. As part of the acquisition, Sarang’s engineering and development team will join Podean’s global technology organization.
Strengthening the Core
This is not a hire made to fill a seat. Sarang joins Podean with two platforms in hand, each solving a distinct and stubborn problem in marketplace commerce. Together with Podean’s existing technology ecosystem, they form the foundation of something significantly more powerful.
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Podean’s technology ecosystem now includes:
– Purvey.ai: The foundational system merging Commerce Canal and Podean’s legacy tools that include deep retail and profit analytics, advertising reporting, content reporting, forecasting, and scenario planning
– Streamline: The advanced performance suite from Ad Advance that includes Sponsored Ads, DSP management, and Avatar audience profiling
– Amerge View and Amerge Engine: The sophisticated analytics and bidding technology from Amerge
– Optimizeads.ai: Marketplace intelligence platform with AI native retail media measurement and automation
– HypeLinks: Social-to-commerce solution designed to bridge the gap between social media engagement and direct marketplace conversion
Together, these systems form the foundation of Podean’s next-generation marketplace optimization platform, designed to support full-funnel retail media management, operational efficiency, and advanced social commerce measurement.
APEX: The Team Behind the Platform
The newly unified technology organization will operate as APEX (AI, Product and Engineering Excellence Team), representing the peak of innovation across engineering, product, and AI. With 26 expert team members now united under APEX, Podean is building the industry’s leading platform for driving brand growth.
A Proven Technology and Commerce Leader
Sarang Fegde is a serial tech entrepreneur who brings a unique blend of expertise across technology, retail media measurement, ecommerce, and CPG. At Amazon, he led initiatives across Amazon Local, Amazon Retail, Prime Video, and Amazon Advertising, working in data analytics, marketplace management, consumer insights, marketing measurement, and strategic partnerships.
After Amazon, Sarang founded DemandHelm, a retail media automation and measurement platform, which was acquired by a fast-growing, venture-backed CPG company, where he subsequently served as CTO, leading technology and retail media initiatives. Most recently, he founded Optimizeads.ai and HypeLinks, focused on AI workflows for marketplace optimization and social commerce innovation.
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Executive Commentary
“I admire Podean’s rapid growth and their unwavering commitment to driving brand success and business performance,” said Sarang Fegde. “The opportunity to combine AI, deep marketplace data, and powerful retail media tools into a unified platform is incredibly exciting. I am thrilled to join Podean and help shape the future of marketplace growth.”
“Our strategy has always been rooted in having the strongest team members in the industry, enabled by cutting-edge technology and AI,” said Travis Johnson, CEO of Podean. “Sarang brings world-class marketplace expertise, entrepreneurial energy, and a strong vision for the future of AI-enabled commerce technology. We’re excited to welcome him to Podean’s leadership team and board.”
