Noah Palansky and the Making of Taiv: A Smarter Way to Advertise

It all started in a Winnipeg sports bar.

Back in 2018, Noah Palansky, then a 22-year-old computer science student at the University of Manitoba, was watching a hockey game at a local bar when he noticed something odd: a commercial aired during the break for a national sports bar chain advertising cheaper beer than the bar he was sitting in. That irony sparked a simple, radical question:

Why are bar owners letting their TVs advertise competitors?

That flash of insight became Taiv: now one of Canada’s fastest-growing AdTech startups and the leader in AI-powered, monetizable TV screens for physical venues. The company gives bars, restaurants, and retailers (c-stores and gas stations) full control over what shows up on their screens — not just the programming, but the ads, too. By transforming passive screens into intelligent, revenue-generating assets, Taiv is redefining how real-world spaces engage audiences. In just a few years, Noah has gone from being a university student with a wild idea to being named Leader of the Year at the 2025 Manitoba Technology Awards.

A Builder from the Start

Before Taiv, Noah Palansky was already building. By 2020, he was leading marketing at Ibex Payroll, where he developed and implemented growth strategies that helped the company reach record-breaking sales. Not long after, he launched Pencil Me In, an appointment-booking search engine that connected users with local businesses, an early example of his talent for creating practical, user-focused technology.

While pursuing a major in Computer Science at the University of Manitoba, Noah maintained a 4.0 GPA, all while working on side projects that combined his interest in automation with a sharp sense for commercial opportunity.

Then came the turning point in 2018: that moment in the bar, watching a commercial during a hockey game, planted the seed for what would become Taiv. He teamed up with Jordan Davis as CTO and Avi Stoller as Chief Commercial Officer, and together they set out to rethink what in-venue TVs could be.

As Noah puts it: “We didn’t want to just fix a small problem, we wanted to give TVs superpowers.”

What Taiv Actually Does

Taiv gives businesses full control of their in-store screens, using AI to swap out generic TV ads with tailored, high-impact content. Think of it as an “Airbnb for TVs”, where owners of physical venues monetize underutilized space and attention.

Using proprietary computer vision technology, Taiv detects live commercial breaks in real time. Instead of sitting through irrelevant ads, viewers see customized content: branded trivia, in-house promotions, or national campaigns from companies like Bacardi, Pepsi, and BMW.

It’s a complete transformation of how venues engage with their customers. Taiv’s platform automates the entire TV experience, enabling businesses to switch seamlessly between live sports, streaming content, digital signage, menus, and games. It operates remotely and at scale, across dozens or even hundreds of locations.

Solving a Problem No One Had Addressed Before

The idea behind Taiv is deceptively simple: business owners had no control over their TVs, and the ads being shown were actively hurting, not helping, their bottom line.

“We realized that while everyone was focused on online ad personalization, nobody was thinking about the tens of thousands of screens sitting in physical venues,” Noah explains. “Taiv gives them back that control, and turns it into revenue.”

That revenue isn’t theoretical. Bacardi saw a 287% increase in sales through Taiv-powered ads. Pepsi hit 100% impression delivery targets. BMW reached more than 2 million viewers. In 2024 alone, Taiv reported over 400% growth.

“Taiv is pioneering a new category of marketing,” says Max Reiff, Partner at IDC Ventures, which led Taiv’s $10.5M Series A in 2024. “It’s ‘phygital’ marketing: digital personalization applied to physical consumer environments. It’s scalable, defensible, and sits at the unique intersection of real-world presence and digital monetization.”

Reiff added, “In Taiv’s universe, everyone wins: venues unlock an exciting new revenue stream, advertisers gain a powerful new channel for contextual targeting, and audiences get content that’s timely and relevant. That alignment has driven explosive growth, outstanding unit economics, and perhaps most importantly, resulted in delighted customers.”

A Win-Win-Win for All Stakeholders

What makes Taiv compelling isn’t just the technology, but the impact it has on three critical players: venue owners, viewers, and advertisers.

For bars and restaurants, it’s a game-changer. They can promote their own offerings, manage what plays on each screen, and earn 15% of ad revenue, all at no cost. With Taiv’s system, everything from schedules to content updates can be handled remotely, reducing operational friction and boosting engagement inside the venue.

For viewers, the experience is radically improved. No more generic commercials interrupting the game; instead, they see brand experiences that feel relevant and entertaining. Many venues even feature interactive content like trivia synced with NBA or college football games.

And for advertisers, Taiv offers a powerful new channel: 60–80” high-definition screens, placed front and center, with an average dwell time of 82 minutes per viewer. It’s targeted, high-frequency, and designed to deliver results.

Looking Ahead: Taiv in 2025

With over 2,000 active venues, a 99.2% renewal rate, and operations in 15 cities across North America, Taiv is just getting started.

In early 2025, the company completed its first acquisition, absorbing the team and assets of Ontario-based startup Local Reach. The deal brought in complementary talent, new tech, and further solidified Taiv’s leadership in AI-powered screen management.

That wasn’t the only move. In October 2024, Taiv announced a strategic alliance with Lemma, one of the leading programmatic media platforms. The partnership allows advertisers to access Taiv’s inventory through private marketplace deals, offering 15- to 30-second creatives across a rapidly expanding network of bars and restaurants.

The goal for 2025 is to double the team, triple its reach, and advance AI innovation to create even more powerful tools for both brands and businesses.

“We want to make the in-venue TV experience feel as personalized and dynamic as any digital ad you see online,” Noah says. “But with one key difference: you can touch it, taste it, and live it in real life.”