Cataneo GmbH Announces Expansion into the $300B U.S. Advertising Market Through Strategic Merger

MUNICH, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cataneo GmbH, an industry leader in cloud-based advertising, plans to expand its operations into the world's largest advertising market in the United States, combining its mission-critical media and advertising software with Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNAI) ("BEN"), an artificial intelligence company developing secure conversational AI designed to operate within closed-loop enterprise environments.

Cataneo is a media technology company that enables advertising sales organizations ("sales houses") and media agencies to securely plan, manage, and optimize media operations through cloud-based software, without relying on traditional, on-premises legacy systems that are static and costly. Initially focused on the German TV advertising market, the company expanded globally, securing clients across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, and now supports advertising operations at scale across more than 1,000 media brands and 200+ channels. Cataneo's platform manages more than €6 billion in annual advertising inventory, and the company generates approximately US$10 million in annual revenue, reflecting a long-standing track record of profitability.

Digital advertising in the United States alone reached nearly $300 billion in 2025¹, with total advertising spend continuing to grow at approximately 9–10% annually², highlighting the continued shift toward data-driven and AI-powered media ecosystems.

Cataneo maintains a customer retention rate of over 98%. The decision to combine with BEN represents the next logical step in its evolution, establishing a permanent U.S. presence and integrating advanced conversational and agentic AI within a secure, closed-loop framework. By combining Cataneo's global media infrastructure with BEN's AI capabilities, the companies aim to enable more intelligent, automated, and measurable advertising workflows, supporting enhanced monetization and more efficient engagement between brands and audiences.

"Today is an important day for Cataneo," said Christian Unterseer, co-founder of Cataneo and expected to join the Board of Directors of Brand Engagement Network upon closing. "This decision expands Cataneo into the U.S. advertising market, elevating the company to the next growth level, as advertising spend in Europe—our home base for more than two decades—remains well below U.S. levels. With BEN's technology and its network of partners across the U.S. and LATAM, we will be able to serve a significantly larger global client base than we could on a standalone basis."

Cataneo, Gmbh entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement announced by Brand Engagement Network, Inc. on April 30, 2026.  The transaction is expected to close on June 30, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. 

Additional Information
Additional details regarding the transaction are available in the official announcement issued by Brand Engagement Network, Inc.:
https://brandengagementnetwork.com/newsroom/brand-engagement-network-(nasdaq-bnai)-signs-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-cataneo-gmbh-a-global-media-infrastructure-leader-in-a-debt-free-19.5-million-transaction

About Cataneo
Cataneo GmbH is a global leader in media management solutions for advertising sales, scheduling, traffic, and content management across linear, non-linear, and digital channels. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, its highly customizable and scalable MYDAS platform delivers end-to-end monetization tools with data analytics, CRM integration, and real-time reporting. With over 20 years of experience, Cataneo supports more than 1,000 media brands across 200+ channels on four continents. For more information, visit www.cataneo.com.

About Brand Engagement Network, Inc.
Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNAI) builds secure, enterprise-grade artificial intelligence for the engagement layer of AI, where people interact with systems and real-world outcomes are driven. Powered by its proprietary Engagement Language Model (ELM™), its technology delivers conversational AI that connects human intent to organizational data, workflows, and actions inside closed-loop, privacy-protective, governed environments. Trusted by organizations in regulated and high-stakes industries, the company brings AI into operational settings where engagement, accountability, and results matter. For more information, visit www.brandengagementnetwork.com.

Contacts:
Cataneo Media: marketing@cataneo.de

Sources:
¹ Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), U.S. Digital Advertising Revenue Report 2025
² Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Advertising Spend Outlook 2026

Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed transaction between Cataneo GmbH and Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNAI), including statements related to the anticipated closing of the transaction and the expected strategic benefits of the merger. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially.

Factors that could affect the outcome include the satisfaction of closing conditions, regulatory approvals, market conditions, and other risks associated with the transaction. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release.

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