While everyone waits for ChatGPT to open up, Thrad, Kontext, and others are already running ads inside AI chatbots. Live. Accessible. No waitlist.
These networks place ads in AI apps you haven't heard of — but hundreds of millions of people use daily.
Pull up Google Play right now and search "AI chat." ChatGPT isn't #1. Gemini doesn't show up until much lower. Same with Perplexity and Poe.
The Reality Advertisers Don't Know
- •43,000 AI apps exist today
- •800M to 1B users outside of ChatGPT
- •The long-tail market is the SAME SIZE as ChatGPT itself
- •For 2-3 years after ChatGPT launched, its clones did more combined revenue than ChatGPT
When we show this to advertisers, they're shocked. They assumed the entire market was ChatGPT. It's not even close.
12 AI Apps Quietly Building Massive User Bases
| App | Users/Downloads | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Luzia | 65 million users | #1 AI assistant on WhatsApp. Dominated Latin America. |
| Character.AI | 300 sessions/user/month | Google Play Best AI App 2023. Insane engagement. |
| Codeway (Ask AI) | 150 million downloads | Built chatbot BEFORE ChatGPT app existed. Top 50 publisher. |
| Replika | 35+ million users | OG AI companion app. |
| AIBY (ChatOn) | 28 million downloads | 10M+ Android installs. Portfolio reaches 2B users. |
| AppNation (Genie) | 15+ million downloads | Featured on TechCrunch. 40+ apps. Hit #1 in 30+ countries. |
| DeepAI | Outranks ChatGPT on Google | Distribution beats model quality. |
| Poe (Quora) | Multi-model access | One subscription = GPT-4, Claude, Gemini. |
| HubX (Nova) | Top-ranking on both stores | Building a hub of AI tools. |
| Jasper | Top 15 Most Innovative AI 2024 | Marketing copy specialist. |
| Copy.ai | Acquired by Fullcast | Marketing focus. Watch in 2026. |
| Perplexity | Growing fast | Research-focused. Closed to new advertisers. |
The opportunity: These apps need monetization. Most can't charge subscriptions (especially outside US). Ad networks like Kontext and Thrad are how they make money — and how you reach their users.
The Third-Party Ad Networks
These networks are LIVE and ACCESSIBLE NOW. No waitlist. No enterprise deal required.
Kontext — Market Leader
Status: Live. Accepting advertisers.
Funding: $10M seed (April 2025) — M13, Torch Capital, Credo Ventures
Scale: Tens of millions of daily impressions
Advertisers: Amazon, Uber, Canva
Publishers: DeepAI, Luzia (65M users), Liner, Spicy Chat, Pixel Chat
Performance data:
- •3-5% CTR (vs. 0.5-1% for display ads)
- •70% higher ROAS than client targets (Liquid Advertising campaign)
- •1.5x stronger click-to-convert rate
- •CPM starting at $3 (vs. $7.35 on Facebook)
- •Publishers see 66% revenue increase ($0.24 → $0.40 ARPU)
How it works:
Kontext uses the SAME LLM powering the chatbot to generate ads in real-time. Ads appear as branded links beneath chatbot responses, contextually matched to the conversation. Pure contextual targeting — no behavioral tracking.
How to access:
- Direct: kontext.so/advertisers
- Programmatic: Via PubMatic partnership (Dec 2025) — buy through any DSP using OpenRTB
Thrad — Rising Challenger
Status: Live. Accepting advertisers.
Founded by: Andrea F. Tortella
Scale: Millions of daily ads, Fortune 500 brands
Recent news:
- •Jan 14, 2026: Launched "Thrad for Retailers" — monetize AI shopping assistants
- •Dec 2025: $500K Monetization Fund to help AI apps add advertising
How it works:
Chatbots become "brand ambassadors" speaking in the brand's tone. Native ads feel like recommendations, not interruptions. AI auto-optimizes budget toward highest-converting ads.
Verticals: Fitness, health, travel, cooking, dating, finance, gaming, productivity, shopping
Access: thrad.ai or platform.thrads.ai
Koah — The "AdSense for GenAI"
Status: Live. $5M seed (Sep 2025)
Backed by: Forerunner, South Park Commons, AppLovin co-founder
Publishers: Luzia, Heal (parenting), Liner (research), DeepAI
Advertisers: UpWork, Skillshare, General Medicine
Performance:
- •7.5% CTR (4-5x better than AdMob/AppLovin in chat interfaces)
- •Partners earn $10K+ in first 30 days
Focus: Long-tail AI apps, especially outside US where subscriptions underperform.
Other Players
| Network | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adzedek | Live | Ads in custom GPTs, OpenAI API apps. 75% rev share. |
| EyeLevel.ai | Live | Oldest (2019). Messenger, Telegram, SMS. 1700+ publishers. |
| OpenAds.AI | Early | Limited traction |
| Abotify | Early | Limited traction |
| Prompt Ads | Early | Limited traction |
Agency Opportunity
The pitch that works:
"You're spending $50K/month on Meta and Google fighting for the same audience as everyone else. There's a market of 800M+ AI app users that your competitors don't even know exists. We can get you in front of them at $3 CPM with 3-5% CTR."
Service: "AI Chatbot Network Management" — $1,000-3,000/mo retainer to manage Kontext + Thrad + Koah campaigns.
Most clients have never heard of these networks. Most agencies haven't either. That's your edge.
