Swivel (formerly PilotDesk), a no-code AI workflow automation platform, announced a partnership with Telly, the world’s smartest TV offered at no cost, on June 26, 2025. This collaboration leverages Swivel’s AI-powered automation to enhance Telly’s advertising operations, driving speed, accuracy, and scalability in a revolutionary ad-supported TV model.
Announcement Date: June 26, 2025
Partners: Swivel (no-code AI workflow automation) and Telly (free, AI-powered smart TV)
Impact: Automated over 30,000 tasks across 30+ demand partners
Key Benefits: Enhanced speed, accuracy, and scalability in ad operations
Telly’s Reach: Powers innovative living room engagement with advanced AdTech
Swivel’s Funding: $5.8M Series A raised in April 2025
Source: PRNewswire
Following a successful integration, Swivel’s automation tools streamlined Telly’s ad operations, including trafficking, inventory management, and partner workflows. This enabled Telly to automate over 30,000 tasks across more than 30 demand partners, freeing up resources for strategic initiatives and advertiser success. Telly’s dual-screen smart TV, with superior computing power, integrates cutting-edge AdTech for real-time measurement, advanced targeting, and innovative creative formats.
“We built Telly to be the most advanced and effective advertising platform ever developed for the home,” said Ben Elliott, Lead, Ad Operations at Telly. “With AI at our core, we’re able to move faster, operate smarter, and respond more dynamically to the needs of our advertising partners. Swivel’s automation capabilities have helped us accelerate workflows and optimize performance as we scale.”
Swivel, rebranded from PilotDesk in April 2025, provides no-code automation, AI, and machine learning to optimize ad operations. Its platform eliminates repetitive tasks, enabling teams to focus on strategy and performance. A prior deployment with LG Ad Solutions demonstrated Swivel’s impact, performing over 500,000 automated actions and saving 25,000 hours of manual work. The $5.8M Series A funding, led by Tribeca Venture Partners and Ardent Venture Partners, supports deeper AI orchestration and integrations with ad servers, DSPs, SSPs, and OMS platforms.
“Telly is redefining the ad-supported TV model, and we’re proud to support their mission with automation that matches their pace and ambition,” said Frans Vermeulen, President at Swivel. “Our goal is to eliminate the manual bottlenecks that slow teams down and deliver a layer of intelligence and speed that enables partners like Telly to lead.”
Founded by Ilya Pozin, creator of Pluto TV, Telly offers a free 55” dual-screen smart TV that redefines home entertainment and advertising. Its partnerships with Google, The Trade Desk, OpenX, Nexxen, TVScientific, and PMG enhance its programmatic advertising capabilities. Telly’s platform drives engagement through features like Zoom Watch Party on its secondary screen and a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant, with usage rates twice the national average for household TVs. A Q4 2024 study showed Telly’s ads, including a Kia campaign, outperformed other media in recall and engagement.
“By leveraging AI and automation, we’re freeing up time and resources to focus on what matters most: helping our advertising partners unlock the full potential of the most creative and performance-driven platform ever built,” Elliott added.
The partnership aligns with 2025 trends in AI-driven advertising, with the market projected to grow at a 26.6% CAGR through 2030. Only 30% of agencies and brands have fully integrated AI into media campaigns, but 50% plan to by 2026, emphasizing efficiency and personalization. Swivel and Telly’s collaboration positions them to lead in programmatic advertising, leveraging AI to optimize yield and deliver hyper-personalized ads while navigating privacy regulations.
This partnership marks a significant step in scaling AI-driven ad operations, enabling Telly to redefine TV advertising and Swivel to expand its footprint in the $12.64 billion AI marketing landscape.
Swivel provides no-code automation, AI, and machine learning to support ad operations — enabling teams to focus on strategy, growth, and performance as opposed to repetitive tasks. As revenue and media spend increase across the ecosystem, the operational burden has historically scaled with it. Swivel's vision is to break that pattern. The platform drives improved yield for sellers and greater media efficiency for buyers, without increasing headcount or complexity.
Telly is the smartest TV ever built—offered at the revolutionary price of free. Founded by the creator of Pluto TV and the pioneer of FAST, Telly completes the vision of a world where both the content and the TV itself are free.
TechIntelPro empowers B2B technology decision-makers with the latest industry trends, deep insights, leadership perspectives and actionable intelligence to drive both organizational and professional milestones—and thrive on the tech pulse.