• by Tyler Loechner  @mp_tyler, March 2, 2015

PubMatic, a supply-side platform, on Monday announced it has added programmatic native ad support to its platform. PubMatic’s publishing partners will be able to sell native ad units through the SSP for the first time.

While Monday marks PubMatic’s official into the native programatic space, the company has been keeping tabs for some time.

PubMatic laid the groundwork for its own programmatic native ad product when it partnered with Bidtellect, a native ad DSP, last month. Additionally, PubMatic’s former VP of technology Giuseppe Di Mauro was a member of the team that helped create the IAB’s programmatic native ad specifications, which were recently released.

In addition to Bidtellect, other publisher and DSP launch partners include Adelphic, Appia, BidSwitch, CraveLabs, Digilant, DistroScale, Fiksu, Lyfe Mobile, MediaMath, Pinger, PowerLinks, Softonic, StackAdapt , StrikeAd and Turn, per a release.

PubMatic notes that it will bring native advertising to its “automated guaranteed” -- i.e. programmatic direct -- platform at a future date.

“Native advertising is increasingly more important to the digital ad ecosystem, as native ads see much greater engagement,” stated Kirk McDonald, president of PubMatic.