DoorDash Acquires Ad Tech Firm Symbiosys For $175M To Expand Reach, But Retail Remains Wary

DoorDash Inc. (DASH) has announced the acquisition of advertising tech firm Symbiosys for $175 million to expand its reach beyond its platform.

The deal enables brands to advertise across channels, including search, social media, and display, while maintaining DoorDash’s closed-loop measurement system, which helps track actual business outcomes from ads. 

Symbiosys offers a self-serve interface, providing marketers with more control and transparency over campaign performance across various platforms.

Through this acquisition, DoorDash can provide its more than 150,000 restaurant and brand advertisers with the ability to run and manage their ads not only on the DoorDash app and website but also across third-party platforms, such as social media.

The company is enhancing its advertising offerings with the launch of new AI-driven features incorporating advanced automation and deeper analytics for advertisers.

In 2024, DoorDash and Wolt Ads surpassed a yearly ad revenue pace exceeding $1 billion.

The company’s updated ad suite includes new tools specifically designed for small and mid-sized restaurants. 

With AI-powered campaign creation, these merchants can input business goals and budgets, and the platform will generate personalized campaigns to boost sales and visibility. 

Restaurants can also now access audience insights, track marketing spend more precisely, and reconcile financial performance with more detailed reporting tools.

Larger consumer brands can benefit from new in-app sponsored content features, including video formats and product carousels.

Enhancements to ad performance metrics include Brand Halo and Video View data, offering more visibility into consumer engagement. 

Additionally, the rollout of Sponsored Product Ads across global search categories aims to enhance discovery in segments such as retail and alcohol.

By scaling its retail media network and adding more capabilities, DoorDash is signaling a move to become a central force in the broader digital advertising ecosystem, extending far beyond food delivery.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around DoorDash remained in ‘bearish’ territory.

DoorDash stock has gained 30% in 2025 and nearly doubled in the last 12 months.

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