New York, Jan 6, 2026, 06:59 EST — Premarket
- Zeta Global shares rose about 11% before the bell after it disclosed an OpenAI collaboration for its Athena product.
- The company said it expanded beta access for two new “agentic” apps, tools designed to recommend actions or execute tasks.
- Traders are watching whether the rollout drives enterprise adoption ahead of the next earnings update expected in late February.
Zeta Global Holdings Corp shares jumped 10.8% to $24.00 in premarket trading on Tuesday, after closing up 8.8% on Monday at $21.67. About 13.6 million shares changed hands in the prior session, above the stock’s recent daily pace. 1
The move puts the marketing-technology firm back in the spotlight as investors look for small and mid-cap names with a clear path to monetising artificial intelligence inside corporate workflows. Partnerships with large model providers have become a quick way for software companies to signal faster product cycles and broader capabilities.
For Zeta, the near-term test is whether the latest product push translates into higher customer spend, not just higher attention. Marketing budgets can be volatile, and large clients often demand proof that new tools improve return on ad dollars before committing.
Zeta said it will collaborate with OpenAI to power the conversational intelligence behind “Athena by Zeta,” and said it expanded beta access for Athena’s first two “agentic” applications. An AI agent is software designed to do work on a user’s behalf — for example, finding insights or making changes — rather than only answering questions. 2
“We’ve formed many partnerships throughout Zeta’s history, but none will be more instrumental than the one we are embarking on with OpenAI,” Chief Executive David A. Steinberg said in the announcement. 2
The company said the two apps now in beta are “Insights,” a conversational analytics tool, and “Advisor,” which scans campaigns and can recommend next steps or execute them automatically. Beta refers to an early release that is tested with a limited group before wider availability. 3
Zeta also highlighted early customer use, saying TKO Group Holdings — the parent of UFC and WWE — took part in the early access program. Zeta said it plans to launch Athena to all customers by the end of the first quarter of 2026. 3
The stock had already climbed in extended trading on Monday after the announcement. Zeta shares rose about 7% after the close, according to Investing.com. 4
Traders are also eyeing chart levels after the latest pop. Zeta’s 52-week range is $10.69 to $26.60, leaving the shares within reach of last year’s highs if the rally holds into the regular session. 5
But the upside case rests on execution. If Athena’s broader release slips, or if enterprise customers balk at handing sensitive marketing data to tools tied to third-party models, enthusiasm can fade quickly — especially with larger rivals like Salesforce and Adobe also pitching AI features to the same buyers.
