Use these links to rapidly review the document
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Table of Contents

As confidentially submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 22, 2020. This draft registration statement has not been publicly filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and all information herein remains strictly confidential.

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

233 Spring Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

Mark Zagorski
233 Spring Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale of the securities to the public:
As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

          If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.    o

          If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    o

          If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    o

          If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    o

          Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

          If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.    o

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(o) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(2)

Includes shares of common stock subject to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.

          The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

Table of Contents

EXPLANATORY NOTE

        Pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, we are omitting our consolidated financial statements for each of the six months ended June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019. While this financial information is otherwise required by Regulation S-X, we reasonably believe that it will not be required to be included in the prospectus at the time of the contemplated offering. We intend to amend this registration statement to include all financial information required by Regulation S-X at the date of such amendment before distributing a preliminary prospectus to investors.

Table of Contents

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We and the selling stockholders may not sell these securities until the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission declares our registration statement effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and neither we nor the selling stockholders are soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

            Shares

DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.

Common Stock

        This is an initial public offering of shares of common stock of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc., or "DoubleVerify". We are offering                 shares of common stock, and the selling stockholders are offering                shares of common stock. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares being sold by the selling stockholders in this offering.

        Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per share will be between $             and $            . We intend to apply to list our common stock on                under the symbol "DV".

        After the completion of this offering, we expect to be a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of                                    .

        We are an "emerging growth company" as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, may elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements. See "Prospectus Summary—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company."

        See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 16 to read about factors you should consider before buying shares of the common stock.

        Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the "SEC", nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

(1)

See "Underwriting" for a description of compensation to be paid to the underwriters.

        To the extent that the underwriters sell more than                        shares of common stock, the underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional                shares from the selling stockholders at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discount.

        The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment in New York, New York on                    , 2021.

Prospectus dated                    , 2021

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

        Through and including                        , 2021 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer's obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

        You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered to you. We have not, and the selling stockholders and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representation other than, or in addition to, those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus we have prepared. We, the selling stockholders and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus and any sale of shares of our common stock.

i

Table of Contents

MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA

        This prospectus includes industry and market data and forecasts pertaining to DoubleVerify's industry and markets, including market sizes, market share, market positions and other industry data. Such information is based on our analysis of multiple sources, including publicly available information, industry publications and surveys, reports from government agencies, reports by market research firms and consultants and our own estimates based on internal company data and our management's knowledge of and experience in the market sectors in which we compete (together, the "Company Data Analysis"). The third-party information contained within the Company Data Analysis has primarily been derived or extrapolated from reports prepared or published by Ad Age, Boston Consulting Group, eMarketer, Juniper Research, Magna Global, GroupM, The Harris Poll and Merkle. We have not independently verified the market and industry data from third-party sources and thus the accuracy and completeness of such information cannot be guaranteed. This information cannot always be verified with complete certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process, and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in surveys of market size.

SERVICE MARKS, TRADEMARKS AND TRADE NAMES

        We hold various service marks, trademarks and trade names, such as DoubleVerify, our logo design, DV Authentic Ad, DV Authentic Performance, DV Pinnacle and Authentic Brand Safety, that we deem particularly important to the marketing activities conducted by each of our businesses. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to these trademarks, service marks and trade names. This prospectus also contains trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies which are the property of their respective holders. We do not intend our use or display of such names or marks to imply relationships with, or endorsements of us by, any other company.

ii

Table of Contents

1

Table of Contents

2

Table of Contents

3

Table of Contents

4

Table of Contents

5

Table of Contents

6

Table of Contents

7

Table of Contents

8

Table of Contents

9

Table of Contents

10

Table of Contents

11

Table of Contents

12

Table of Contents

13

Table of Contents

14

Table of Contents

15

Table of Contents

RISK FACTORS

        Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider and read carefully all of the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as other information contained in this prospectus, including our audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus, before making an investment decision. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. The occurrence of any of the following risks or additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In any such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks and uncertainties described below.

Risks Relating to Our Business

If we fail to respond to technological developments or evolving industry standards, our solutions may become obsolete or less competitive.

        Our future success will depend in part on our ability to develop new solutions and modify or enhance our existing platform in order to meet customer needs, add functionality and address technological advancements. To remain competitive, we will need to continuously upgrade our existing platform and develop new solutions that address evolving technologies and standards across all formats of digital advertising, including mobile, social, video, in-app, display and connected TV, as well as across purchasing channels, such as programmatic, direct ad exchanges and trading networks. We may be unsuccessful in upgrading our existing platform or identifying new solutions in a timely or cost-effective manner, or we may be limited in our ability to develop or market new or upgraded solutions due to patents held by others. In addition, any new product innovations may not achieve the market penetration or price levels necessary for profitability. Further, if our existing and future product offerings fail to maintain or achieve Media Rating Council ("MRC") or other industry accreditation standards, customer acceptance of our products may decrease. If we are unable to develop timely enhancements to, and new features for, our existing platform or if we are unable to develop new solutions that align with advertiser demands as priorities shift or keep pace with rapid technological developments or changing industry standards, the solutions we deliver may become obsolete, less marketable and less competitive, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

The market in which we participate is highly competitive.

        The market for measurement, data analytics and authentication of digital advertising is competitive and evolving rapidly. As this market evolves, competition may intensify as existing companies expand their businesses and new companies enter the market, which could lead to commoditization and harm our ability to increase revenue and maintain profitability. Our success depends on our ability to retain and grow our existing customers and sell our platform and solutions to new customers. If existing or new companies develop, market or offer competitive products, acquire one of our competitors or form a strategic alliance with one of our competitors or integration partners, our ability to attract new customers or retain existing customers could be adversely impacted and our results of operations could be harmed. Our current and potential competitors may have more financial, technical, marketing and other resources, as well as longer operating histories and greater name recognition than we do. As a result, these competitors may be better able to respond quickly to new technologies or devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their products and services. We cannot assure you that our customers will continue to use our platform or that we will be able to replace, in a timely manner or at all, departing customers with new customers that generate comparable revenue.

16

Table of Contents

        We believe that our ability to compete successfully in our market depends on a number of factors, both within and outside of our control, including: (i) the price, quality and effectiveness of our solutions and those of our competitors; (ii) our ability to retain and add new integration partners; (iii) the timing and success of new product introductions; (iv) our position as an independent third-party within the digital advertising ecosystem; (v) the emergence of new technologies; (vi) the number and nature of our competitors; (vii) the protection of our intellectual property rights; and (viii) general market and economic conditions. The competitive environment could result in price reductions that could result in lower profits and loss of market share. If we are unable to compete successfully against our current and future competitors, we may not be able to retain and acquire customers and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

System failures, security breaches, cyberattacks or natural disasters could interrupt the operation of our platform and data centers and significantly harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Our success depends on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our platform. A failure of our computer systems, or those of our demand-side integration partners, could impede access to our platform, interfere with our data analytics, prevent the timely delivery of our solutions or damage our reputation. In the future, we may need to expand our systems at a significant cost and at a more rapid pace than we have to date. We may be unable to provide our solutions on a timely basis or experience performance issues with our platform if we fail to adequately expand or maintain our system capabilities to meet future requirements. Any disruption in our ability to operate our platform will prevent us from providing the solutions requested by our customers and partners, which may damage our reputation and result in the loss of customers or integration partners and the imposition of penalties or other legal or regulatory action, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

        In delivering our solutions, we are dependent on the operation of our data centers, which are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, terrorist attacks, war, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial of service attacks or other attempts to harm our system and similar events. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. The occurrence of any issues or failures at our data centers could result in interruptions in the delivery of our solutions to our customers. For example, in March 2020, one of the third-party data centers we use experienced a fire that caused a temporary outage of certain services to some of our customers.

        In addition, our ability to operate our platform and deliver our solutions may be interrupted by computer viruses, cyberattacks and security breaches. For example, unauthorized parties have in the past and may attempt in the future to gain access to our information systems. Outside parties have in the past and may also attempt in the future to fraudulently induce our employees or users of our platform to disclose sensitive information via illegal electronic spamming, phishing or other tactics. Any breach of our security measures or the accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure or unauthorized dissemination of proprietary information or sensitive, personal or confidential data about us, our employees or our customers or integration partners, including the potential loss or disclosure of such information or data as a result of hacking, fraud, trickery or other forms of deception, could expose us, our employees, our customers or our integration partners to risks of loss or misuse of this information. Any such breach, loss, disclosure or dissemination may also result in potential liability or fines, governmental inquiry or oversight, litigation or a loss of customer confidence, any of which could harm our business and damage our reputation, possibly impeding our ability to retain and attract new customers, and cause a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

        Certain of our third-party service providers and other vendors have access to portions of our IT system. Performance failures or acts of negligence by these service providers may cause material disruptions to our IT systems.

17

Table of Contents

Our solutions rely on integrations with demand- and supply-side advertising platforms, ad servers and social platforms.

        Our solutions necessitate that demand- and supply-side advertising platforms, ad servers and social platforms accept and integrate with our technology. We have formed partnerships with these platforms to integrate our technology with their software, allowing our customers to utilize our solutions wherever they purchase or place an ad. Some of these integration partners have significant market share in the segment in which they operate. We can make no assurances that our existing integration partners will continue to, or that potential new integration partners will agree to, integrate our solutions. We also cannot assure you that our customers will continue to use our solutions available on these digital media platforms or that our integration partners will not develop products that compete with us in the future. If our customers stopped using our solutions on these digital media platforms or if our integration partners decide to cease integrating our solutions, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

        In addition, we rely on our demand-side integration partners to report to us on the usage of our solutions on their platforms, as well as revenue generated on their platforms. Any financial or other difficulties our integration partners face may negatively impact our business, as a significant portion of our revenue depends on customers using our solutions on these digital media platforms, and we are unable to predict the nature and extent of any such impact. We exercise very little control over our integration partners, which increases our vulnerability to problems with the services they provide and our reliance upon them for accurate data and revenue reporting. Any errors, failures, interruptions or delays experienced in connection with our integration partners could adversely affect our business, reputation and financial condition.

Economic downturns and unstable market conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Our business depends on the demand for digital advertising measurement and authentication and on the overall economic health of our customers and integration partners. There is no assurance the digital advertising market will experience the growth we anticipate. The health of the digital advertising market and the related measurement and authentication sector is affected by many factors. Economic downturns or unstable market conditions in the markets and geographies that we currently serve may cause our customers to decrease their advertising budgets or slow the growth of their digital ad spend, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. As we explore new countries to expand our business, economic downturns or unstable market conditions for geo-political or other reasons in any of those countries could result in our investments not yielding the returns we anticipate.

        The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in market disruptions and a global economic slowdown, which has materially impacted demand for a broad variety of goods and services, and is also disrupting sales channels and marketing activities. The conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may affect how our customers conduct their businesses and adversely affect our customers' willingness to utilize our solutions and delay prospective customers' purchasing decisions. Our customers may decrease their overall advertising budgets as a response to the economic uncertainty, a decline in their business activity, and other COVID-related impacts on their business or industry. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has temporarily closed its offices globally, including its corporate headquarters in New York, and is operating with nearly all staff working remotely. Remote working arrangements may expose us to increased security risk and privacy concerns and there may be heightened sensitivity from government regulators with respect to privacy compliance in the current environment. The long-term impacts, if any, of the global COVID-19 pandemic on our business are currently unknown and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially impacted.

18

Table of Contents

        For further discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and financial results, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Factors Affecting Our Performance—COVID-19." To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this "Risk Factors" section.

We are subject to payment-related risks, and if our ability to accurately and timely collect payments is impaired, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

        We have a large and diverse customer and integration partner base. At any given time, one or more of our customers or partners may experience financial difficulty, file for bankruptcy protection or cease operations. Unfavorable economic and financial conditions could result in an increase in customer or partner financial difficulties which could adversely affect us. The direct impact on us could include reduced revenues and write-offs of accounts receivable and expenditures billable to customers, and if these effects were severe enough, the indirect impact could include impairments of intangible assets and reduced liquidity. Furthermore, the payment risks we face are heighted since (i) our programmatic partners collect payments from all of our customers utilizing their platform and remit to us on their behalf and (ii) media agencies pay us on behalf of multiple customers who utilize them. Although no customer accounts for more than 4% of our revenue, two programmatic partner platforms collected over 10% each of our total revenue in 2019.

        In addition, each of our customers and integration partners may have different payment methods and cycles. The timing of receipt of payment from our customers and integration partners may impact our cash flows and working capital.

Defects, errors or inaccuracies associated with our solutions could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        The technology underlying our platform may contain material defects or errors. If the data analytics we deliver to our customers are inaccurate or perceived to be inaccurate, due to defects or errors in our technology, our business may be harmed. Any inaccuracy or perceived inaccuracy in the solutions we provide could lead to consequences that could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations, including:

•

loss of customers;



•

the incurrence of substantial costs to correct any material defect or error;



•

potential litigation;



•

interruptions in the availability of our platform;



•

diversion of development resources;



•

loss of MRC or other industry accreditation;



•

lost sales or delayed market acceptance of our solutions; and



•

damage to our brand.

We often have long sales cycles, which can result in significant time between initial contact with a prospect and execution of a contractual agreement, making it difficult to project when, if at all, we will generate revenue from new customers.

        Our sales cycle, from initial contact to contract execution and implementation, is often long and time consuming. Our sales efforts involve educating our customers about the use, technical capabilities and benefits of our software platform. Some of our customers undertake an evaluation process that

19

Table of Contents

involves reviewing the offerings of our competitors in addition to our platform. As a result, it is difficult to predict when a prospective customer will decide to execute an agreement and begin generating revenue for us. Even if our sales efforts result in obtaining a new customer, under our usage-based pricing model for most of our solutions, the customer controls when and to what extent it uses our platform. As a result, we may not be able to add customers or generate revenue as quickly as we may expect, which could adversely affect, or limit, the predictability of, our growth.

We depend on our senior management team and other key personnel to manage our business effectively, and if we are unable to retain such key personnel or hire additional qualified personnel, our ability to compete could be harmed.

        Our company is led by a strong management team that has extensive experience leading technology and digital marketing companies. Our success and future growth depend to a significant degree on the leadership, knowledge, skills and continued services of our senior management team and other key personnel. The loss of any of these persons could adversely affect our business.

        Our future success also depends on our ability to retain, attract and motivate highly skilled technical, managerial, marketing and customer service personnel. We have doubled the size of our work force since 2017 to more than 575 employees and expect to continue to grow in the near term. We may incur significant costs to attract and retain qualified employees, including significant expenditures related to salaries and benefits and compensation expenses related to equity awards. New employees often require significant training and we may lose new or existing employees to our competitors or other companies before we realize the benefit of our investment in recruiting and training them. Competition for personnel is intense, particularly in the technology and software industries. A substantial majority of our employees work for us on an at-will basis, and we may experience a loss of productivity due to the departure of key personnel and the associated loss of institutional knowledge. Our inability to retain and attract the necessary personnel could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        In addition, our international expansion has led to an increasing number of employees based in countries outside of North America. With over 235 employees based outside North America as of September 15, 2020, we are exposed to a number of additional country-specific risks. See "We are exposed to the risks of operating internationally."

Data privacy legislation and regulation on digital advertising and privacy and data protection may adversely affect our business.

        There are a growing number of data privacy and protection laws and regulations in the digital advertising industry that apply to our business. We have dedicated, and expect to continue to dedicate, significant resources in our efforts to comply with such laws and regulations. For example, we have implemented policies and procedures to comply with applicable data privacy laws and regulations and rely on contractual representations made to us by customers and partners that the information they provide to us and their use of our solutions do not violate these laws and regulations or their own privacy policies. However, the application, interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain and continue to evolve, particularly in the new and rapidly evolving industry in which we operate, and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently between states within a country or between countries, and our current policies and practices may be found not to comply. Additionally, if our customers and partners' representations are false or inaccurate, or if our customers and partners do not otherwise comply with applicable privacy laws, we could face adverse publicity and possible legal or regulatory action. Conversely, our partners and communications services providers have adopted their own policies based on their own perceptions of legal requirements or other policy determinations, and these policies have in the past temporarily prevented us, and may again in the future prevent us, from operating on their platforms and possibly result in loss of business or litigation. Any perception of our

20

Table of Contents

practices, platform or solutions delivery as a violation of privacy rights may subject us to public criticism, loss of customers or partners, class action lawsuits, reputational harm, or investigations or claims by regulators, industry groups or other third parties, all of which could significantly disrupt our business and expose us to liability in ways that negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

        In addition, U.S. and foreign governments have enacted or are considering enacting new legislation related to privacy, data protection, data security and digital advertising and we expect to see an increase in, or changes to, legislation and regulation that affects our industry. For example, the European Union's ("EU") General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), which became effective on May 25, 2018, and has resulted and will continue to result in significantly greater compliance burdens and costs for companies with users and operations in the EU and European Economic Area ("EEA"). Under GDPR, fines of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the annual global revenues of the infringing party, whichever is greater, can be imposed for violations. The GDPR imposes several stringent requirements for controllers and processors of personal data and could make it more difficult and/or more costly for us to use and share personal data. In addition, the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), which went into effect on January 1, 2020, limits how we may collect and use personal data. The effects of the CCPA potentially are far-reaching and may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and incur substantial compliance-related costs and expenses. Further, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") applies to websites and other online services that are directed to children under thirteen (13) years of age and imposes certain restrictions on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information from these websites and online services. These and other data privacy laws and their interpretations continue to develop and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Noncompliance with these laws could result in penalties or significant legal liability. Although we take reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we will not be subject to regulatory action, including fines, in the event of an incident. We or our third-party service providers could be adversely affected if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in our or our third-party service providers' business practices or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their legislation or regulations in ways that negatively affect our or our third-party service providers' business, results of operations or financial condition. These federal, state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities, are increasingly restricting the collection, processing and use of personal data.

        These laws are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change or interpretive application. We continue to monitor changes in laws and regulations, and the costs of compliance with, and the other burdens imposed by, these and other new laws or regulatory actions may increase our costs. In addition, failure to comply with these and other laws and regulations may result in, among other things, administrative enforcement actions and significant fines, class action lawsuits, significant legal fees, and civil or criminal liability. Any regulatory or civil action that is brought against us, even if unsuccessful, may distract our management's attention, divert our resources, negatively affect our public image or reputation among our customers and partners and within our industry, and, consequently, harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Public criticism of digital advertising technology in the U.S. and internationally, including digital advertising on social media platforms, could adversely affect the demand for and use of our solutions.

        Our business depends, in part, on the demand for digital advertising technology. The digital advertising industry has been and may in the future be subject to reputational harm, negative media attention and public complaint relating to, among other things, the alleged lack of transparency and anti-competitive behavior among advertising technology companies. This public criticism could result in increased data privacy and anti-trust regulation in the digital advertising industry in the U.S. and

21

Table of Contents

internationally. In addition, our services are delivered in web browsers, mobile apps and other software environments where online advertising is displayed, and changes to software functionality in order to provide more consumer privacy could hurt our ability to effectively deliver our services and make them less effective if our services are restricted from operating. We have also experienced significant growth in social media-related revenues and generate significant revenue from the use of our solutions on social media platforms, which have been and may in the future be the subject of avoidance campaigns or similar events, including ad boycotts on Facebook and Twitter. Any change or decrease in the demand for digital advertising, including on social media platforms as a result of avoidance campaigns or similar events, may negatively affect the demand for and use of our solutions. If our customers significantly reduce or eliminate their digital ad spend in response to the public criticism of the digital advertising industry or its related effects, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

The success of our business depends in large part on our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights.

        We rely on a combination of intellectual property rights in our business and rely on patent, copyright, service mark, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual restrictions, to establish and protect our proprietary rights, all of which provide limited protection. We endeavor to enter into agreements with our employees and contractors and with parties with whom we do business in order to limit access to and disclosure of our proprietary information. We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent unauthorized use of our technology or the reverse engineering of our technology. We cannot make assurances that any additional patents will be issued with respect to any of our pending or future patent applications, that any patents issued to us will provide adequate protection, or that any patents issued to us will not be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, or held to be unenforceable in actions against alleged infringers. Also, we cannot make assurances that any future trademark or service mark registrations will be issued with respect to pending or future applications or that any of our registered trademarks and service marks will be enforceable or provide adequate protection of our proprietary rights. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries where our platform is utilized do not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. A failure to protect our intellectual property rights in the U.S. or elsewhere could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

An assertion from a third party that we are infringing its intellectual property rights, whether such assertion is valid or not, could subject us to costly and time-consuming litigation, expensive licenses or other impacts to our business.

        There is significant intellectual property development activity in the measurement and authentication of digital ads. Third-party intellectual property rights may cover significant aspects of our technologies or business methods or block us from expanding our platform and delivering new solutions, and we cannot be certain that our current operations do not infringe the rights of a third party. We have received and may continue to receive allegations and/or claims from third parties that our technology infringes or violates such third parties' intellectual property rights. The cost of defending against such claims, whether or not the claims have merit, is significant and could divert the attention of management, technical personnel and other employees from our business operations. Litigation regarding intellectual property rights is inherently uncertain due to the complex issues involved, and we may not be successful in defending ourselves in such matters. Additionally, we may be obligated to indemnify our customers or partners in connection with any such litigation. Intellectual property claims could harm our relationships with our customers and deter future customers from buying our solutions or expose us to litigation. If we are found to infringe intellectual property rights, we could potentially be subject to injunctive or other relief that could affect our ability to provide our solutions. We may also be required to develop alternative non-infringing technology and may be unable

22

Table of Contents

to do so, or such development may require significant time and expense and may not be successful. In addition, we could be required to pay royalty payments, either as a one-time fee or ongoing, as well as damages for past use that was deemed to be infringing. If we cannot license or develop technology for any allegedly infringing aspect of our business, this may limit our platform and solutions, and we may be unable to compete effectively. Any of these results could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have completed several acquisitions in the past and may consummate additional acquisitions in the future, which may be difficult to integrate, disrupt our business, expose us to unanticipated liabilities, dilute stockholder value or divert management attention.

        We have completed several strategic acquisitions, including of Ad-Juster, Inc. in October 2019, Zentrick NV in February 2019 and Leiki, Ltd. in December 2018. As part of our growth strategy, we may consummate additional acquisitions in the future to enhance our technology platform, expand our product offerings, broaden our geographic footprint, or for other strategic reasons. We also may evaluate and enter into discussions regarding an array of potential strategic investments, including acquiring complementary products or technologies. Our recent acquisitions and any future acquisitions or investments may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures. In particular, we may encounter difficulties integrating the business, technologies, products, personnel or operations of an acquired company, and we may have difficulty retaining the customers or employees of any acquired business due to changes in management and ownership. An acquisition may also disrupt our ongoing business, divert our resources and require significant management attention that would otherwise be available for ongoing growth and development of our business. Moreover, we cannot assure you that the anticipated benefits of an acquisition or investment would be realized in a timely manner, if at all, or that we would not be exposed to unknown costs and liabilities. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, any of which could harm our business and financial performance, including:

•

the difficulty of assimilating the operations and personnel of the acquired companies;



•

the potential disruption of our business;



•

the inability of our management to maximize our financial and strategic position by the successful incorporation of acquired technology into our platform;



•

unanticipated liabilities associated with an acquisition, including (i) technology, intellectual property and infringement issues, (ii) employment, retirement or severance related claims, (iii) claims by or amounts owed to customers or suppliers, (iv) adverse tax consequences and (v) other legal disputes;



•

difficulty maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies, with respect to accounting matters and otherwise;



•

the potential loss of key personnel of acquired companies;



•

the impairment of relationships with employees and customers as a result of changes in management and operational structure;



•

increased indebtedness to finance the acquisition;



•

entrance into new geographic markets that subjects us to different laws and regulations that may have an adverse impact on our business; and



•

the diversion of management time and focus from operating our business to addressing acquisition integration challenges.

        Failure to appropriately mitigate these risks or other issues related to such acquisitions and strategic investments could result in reducing or completely eliminating any anticipated benefits of

23

Table of Contents

transactions, and harm our business generally. Future acquisitions could also result in the incurrence or assumption of debt, contingent liabilities, amortization expenses or the impairment of goodwill, any of which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we will continue to acquire businesses at attractive valuations or that we will complete future acquisitions at all.

We are exposed to the risks of operating internationally.

        Our international operations are important to our current and future strategy, growth and prospects. We currently have operations in numerous foreign countries, including the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, France, Germany, Finland, Belgium and Japan, and expect to continue to expand our operations internationally. Our international operations are subject to varying degrees of regulation in each of the jurisdictions in which our services are provided. Local laws and regulations, and their interpretation and enforcement, differ significantly among those jurisdictions, and can change significantly over time. Some of the risks inherent in conducting business internationally include:

•

the complexities and expense of complying with a wide variety of foreign and domestic laws and regulations applicable to international operations, including privacy and data protection laws and regulations, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws;



•

difficulties in staffing and managing international operations, including complex and costly hiring and termination requirements;



•

reduced or varied protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;



•

challenges caused by distance, language and cultural differences;



•

political, social and economic instability abroad, terrorist attacks and security concerns;



•

trade disruptions or political tensions between the U.S. and foreign countries;



•

fluctuations in currency exchange rates;



•

potentially adverse tax consequences and the complexities of foreign value-added taxes and the repatriation of earnings;



•

increased accounting and reporting burdens and complexities; and



•

difficulties and expenses associated with tailoring our platform and solutions to local markets as may be required by local customers, regulations and local industry organizations.

        Furthermore, our operations in the UK could be impacted by the UK's formal exit from the EU, subject to a transition period that is expected to last until December 31, 2020 ("Brexit"). Although certain separation issues have been resolved, there is still significant uncertainty with respect to the terms of the future relationship between the EU and the UK and when any relationship will be agreed and implemented. Given the status of Brexit at this time, we are unable to predict the impact that it may have on our operations in both the UK and the EU. Among other things, we could experience lower growth in the region, increased foreign currency risk, greater restrictions on business with UK customers and increased regulatory complexity.

        Additionally, our ability to manage our business and conduct our operations internationally requires considerable management attention and financial resources. We cannot be certain that the investments and additional resources required for establishing and maintaining operations in other countries will hold their value or produce desired levels of revenues or profitability. Any one or more

24

Table of Contents

of these factors could negatively impact our international operations and thus adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our use of "open source" software could subject our technology to general release or require us to re-engineer our platform, or subject us to litigation, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Some of our technology incorporates so-called "open source" software, and we may incorporate additional open source software in the future. Open source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open source licenses, which typically do not provide for any representations, warranties or indemnity coverage by the licensor. Some of these licenses provide that combinations of open source software with a licensee's proprietary software are subject to the open source license and require that the combination be made available to third parties in source code form or at no cost. Some open source licenses may also require the licensee to grant licenses under certain of its intellectual property to third parties. Additionally, there is little case law interpreting such licenses and there is a risk that open source licenses could be construed in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to provide our platform. If a third party that distributes open source software were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of one or more of these licenses, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending against such allegations and could be subject to significant damages, enjoined from the sale of our solutions that contain the open source software and required to comply with the foregoing conditions, which could disrupt the distribution and sale of some of our solutions. In addition, we may be forced to re-engineer our platform or discontinue use of certain open source software, and related solutions provided by our platform that use such open source software. Any of these events could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Seasonal fluctuations in advertising activity could have a negative impact on our revenue, cash flow and operating results.

        Our revenue, cash flow, operating results and other key operating and performance metrics may vary from quarter to quarter due to the seasonal nature of our customers' spending on advertising campaigns. For example, advertisers typically allocate the largest portion of their media budgets to the fourth quarter of the calendar year in order to coincide with increased holiday purchasing. As a result, the fourth quarter of the year typically reflects our highest level of measurement activity while the first quarter reflects the lowest level of such activity. Our historical revenue growth has masked the impact of seasonality, but if our growth rate declines or seasonal spending becomes more pronounced, seasonality could have a more significant impact on our revenue, cash flow and operating results from period to period.

We have a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and prospects and may increase the risks associated with your investment.

        Our business was founded in 2008 and, as a result, we have a limited operating history upon which our business and prospects may be evaluated. Although we have experienced substantial revenue growth in our limited operating history, we may not be able to sustain this rate of growth or maintain our current revenue levels. We have encountered and will continue to encounter risks and challenges frequently experienced by rapidly growing companies in developing industries, including risks related to our ability to:

•

build a reputation for providing superior customer service and for creating trust and long-term relationships with our customers;



•

distinguish ourselves from competitors;

25

Table of Contents

•

scale our business efficiently;



•

maintain and expand our relationships with customers and partners;



•

respond to evolving industry standards and government regulation that impact our business, particularly in the areas of data privacy;



•

respond to technological advances;



•

prevent or mitigate security failures or breaches;



•

expand our business internationally; and



•

hire and retain qualified employees.

        We cannot assure you that we will be successful in addressing these and other challenges we may face in the future. If we are unable to do so, our business may suffer, our revenue and operating results may decline and we may not be able to achieve further growth or sustain profitability.

We are subject to taxation in multiple jurisdictions. Any adverse development in the tax laws of any of these jurisdictions or any disagreement with our tax positions could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

        We are subject to taxation in, and to the tax laws and regulations of, multiple jurisdictions as a result of the international scope of our operations and our corporate entity structure. Adverse developments in these laws or regulations, or any change in position regarding the application, administration or interpretation thereof, in any applicable jurisdiction, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, the tax authorities in any applicable jurisdiction, including the U.S., may disagree with the positions we have taken or intend to take regarding the tax treatment or characterization of any of our transactions.

Our revenues and results of operations may fluctuate in the future. As a result, we may fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.

        Our results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. If our revenues or results of operations do not meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, the price of our common stock could decline. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our revenues or results of operations include:

•

our ability to retain and grow relationships with existing customers and attract new customers;



•

the loss of demand-side platforms as integration partners;



•

the timing and success of new product introductions, including the introduction of new technologies or offerings, by us, our competitors or others in the advertising marketplace;



•

changes in the pricing of our solutions or those of our competitors;



•

our failure to accurately estimate or control costs, including those incurred as a result of investments, other business or product development initiatives and the integration of acquired businesses;



•

changes and uncertainty in the regulatory environment;



•

the amount and timing of capital expenditures and operating costs related to the maintenance and expansion of our operations and infrastructure;



•

service outages, other technical difficulties or security breaches;



•

limitations relating to the capacity of our networks, systems and processes;

26

Table of Contents

•

maintaining appropriate staffing levels and capabilities relative to projected growth, or retaining key personnel;



•

the risks associated with operating internationally; and



•

general economic, political, regulatory, industry and market conditions and those conditions specific to internet usage and digital media.

        Based upon the factors above and others both within and beyond our control, we have a limited ability to forecast our future revenue, costs and expenses, and as a result, our operating results may, from time to time, fall below our estimates or the expectations of analysts and investors. We believe that our revenues and results of operations on a year-over-year and sequential quarter-over-quarter basis may vary significantly in the future. Investors are cautioned not to rely on the results of prior periods as an indication of future performance.

Our estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate.

        Market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forecasts relating to the size and expected growth of our market may prove to be inaccurate. For example, the digital advertising industry may not grow at the rate that we currently expect, the migration of advertising from linear television to CTV may not occur on the scale we currently anticipate, or the growth of subscription media platforms as opposed to platforms supported by advertising may all impact the estimates and growth forecasts we have included in this prospectus. Even if the market in which we compete meets our size estimates and forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

Our financial condition and results of operations could suffer and be adversely affected if we incur an impairment of goodwill or other intangible and long-lived assets.

        As of December 31, 2019, we had $227.3 million of goodwill and $153.1 million of long-lived assets, including property and equipment and intangible assets. We are required to test intangible assets and goodwill annually and on an interim basis if an event occurs or there is a change in circumstance that would more likely than not reduce the fair value below its carrying values or indicate that the carrying value of such intangibles is not recoverable. When the carrying value exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. If the carrying amount of an intangible asset is not recoverable, a charge to operations is recognized. Either event would result in incremental expenses for that period, which would reduce any earnings or increase any loss for the period in which the impairment was determined to have occurred.

        Our impairment analysis is sensitive to changes in key assumptions used in our analysis, such as expected future cash flows. Additionally, changes in our strategy or significant technical developments could significantly impact the recoverability of our intangible assets. If the assumptions used in our analysis are not realized, it is possible that an impairment charge may need to be recorded in the future. We did not identify an impairment of goodwill or long-lived assets for the year ended December 31, 2019. We cannot predict the amount and timing of any future impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets.

Restrictions in the New Revolving Credit Facility could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Prior to the consummation of this offering, we expect to enter into a new revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $            (the "New Revolving Credit Facility"). The operating and

27

Table of Contents

financial restrictions and covenants in the New Revolving Credit Facility, and any future financing agreements, could restrict our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to expand or pursue our business activities. For example, we expect the New Revolving Credit Facility will contain limitations on our ability to, among other things:

•

pay dividends;



•

grant liens;



•

incur or guarantee additional debt;



•

enter into transactions with affiliates; and



•

materially alter the character of our business.

        We expect the New Revolving Credit Facility will also contain covenants requiring us to maintain certain financial ratios in order to borrow available amounts under the New Revolving Credit Facility. Our ability to meet those financial ratios and tests can be affected by events beyond our control, and we cannot assure you that we will meet any such ratios and tests.

        We expect that our obligations under the New Revolving Credit Facility will be secured by substantially all of our assets. A failure to comply with the provisions of the New Revolving Credit Facility could result in a default or an event of default that could enable our lenders to declare the outstanding principal amount of that debt, together with accrued and unpaid interest, to be immediately due and payable. We might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make these accelerated payments. If the payment of our debt is accelerated and we do not have sufficient cash available to repay such indebtedness, the lenders could foreclose on their security interests and liquidate some or all of our assets to repay the outstanding principal and interest, and our stockholders could experience a partial or total loss of their investment. For more information about the New Revolving Credit Facility, see "Description of Certain Indebtedness."

In the future, we may need to obtain additional financing that may not be available or may reduce our profitability or result in dilution to our stockholders.

        We may require additional capital in the future to develop and execute our long-term growth strategy. We believe the net proceeds from this offering and borrowings under the New Revolving Credit Facility, together with cash flows from operations, should be sufficient to fund our capital requirements for at least the next twelve months. However, we may need to raise additional funds in the future in order to, among other things:

•

finance working capital requirements, capital investments or refinance existing or future indebtedness;



•

acquire complementary businesses, technologies or products;



•

develop or enhance our technological infrastructure and our existing platform and solutions;



•

fund strategic relationships; and



•

respond to competitive pressures.

        If we incur additional indebtedness, our profitability may be reduced. Any future indebtedness could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with restrictive covenants, which could place limitations on our business operations. Further, we may not be able to maintain sufficient cash flows from our operating activities to service our existing and any future indebtedness. If our operating results are not sufficient to service any future indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing or delaying our business activities, investments or capital expenditures, selling assets or issuing equity. If we issue additional equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution and

28

Table of Contents

the price of our common stock may decline. Alternatively, if adequate funds are not available or are not available on acceptable terms, our ability to fund our strategic initiatives, take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop or enhance our technology or services or otherwise respond to competitive pressures could be significantly limited.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock and This Offering

Our common stock has no prior public market and the market price of our common stock may be volatile and could decline after this offering.

        Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for shares of our common stock. Although our common stock will be approved for listing on            , an active trading market for our shares may not develop or be sustained following this offering. We and the selling stockholders negotiated the initial public offering price per share with the representatives of the underwriters and, therefore, that price may not be indicative of the market price of our common stock following this offering. In the absence of an active public trading market, you may not be able to sell your shares at or above the initial public offering price, at the time you would like to sell, or at all. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares and may impair our ability to make strategic investments by using our shares as consideration. In addition, the market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Among the factors that could affect our stock price are:

•

actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating results;



•

changes in securities analysts' estimates of our financial performance or lack of research coverage and reports by industry analysts;



•

actions by institutional stockholders or other large stockholders (including Providence), including future sales of our common stock;



•

failure to meet any guidance given by us or any change in any guidance given by us, or changes by us in our guidance practices;



•

industry, regulatory or general market conditions;



•

domestic and international economic factors unrelated to our performance;



•

changes in our customers' or partners' preferences;



•

changes in law or regulation;



•

lawsuits, enforcement actions and other claims by third parties or governmental authorities;



•

adverse publicity related to us or another industry participant;



•

announcements by us of significant impairment charges;



•

speculation in the press or investment community;



•

investor perception of us and our industry;



•

changes in market valuations or earnings of similar companies;



•

announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions or strategic partnerships;



•

war, terrorist acts and epidemic disease;



•

any future offerings of our common stock or other securities;



•

additions or departures of key personnel; and

29

Table of Contents

•

misconduct or other improper actions of our employees.

        In particular, we cannot assure you that you will be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price. Stock markets have experienced extreme volatility in recent years that has been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

DoubleVerify is a holding company with no operations of its own, and it depends on its subsidiaries for cash to fund all of its operations and expenses, including to make future dividend payments, if any.

        Our operations are conducted entirely through our subsidiaries, and our ability to generate cash to fund our operations and expenses, to pay dividends or to meet debt service obligations is highly dependent on the earnings and the receipt of funds from our subsidiaries through dividends or intercompany loans. Deterioration in the financial condition, earnings or cash flow of DoubleVerify and its subsidiaries for any reason could limit or impair their ability to pay such distributions. Additionally, to the extent our subsidiaries are restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or under the terms of our existing or future financing arrangements, or are otherwise unable to provide funds to the extent of our needs, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Future sales of shares by us or our existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.

        Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market following this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

        Based on shares outstanding as of September 30, 2020, upon the completion of this offering, we will have            outstanding shares of common stock. All of the shares sold pursuant to this offering will be immediately tradable without restriction under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") except for any shares held by "affiliates," as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act ("Rule 144"). Upon the completion of this offering, we intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register the shares of common stock to be issued under our equity compensation plans and, as a result, all shares of common stock acquired upon exercise of stock options and restricted stock units granted under our plans will also be freely tradable under the Securities Act, subject to the terms of the lock-up agreements, unless purchased by our affiliates. As of September 30, 2020, there were stock options outstanding to purchase a total of            shares of our common stock and            outstanding restricted stock units (each restricted stock unit representing the right to receive one share of common stock upon vesting).

        The remaining            shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020 are restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144, but will be eligible for resale subject to applicable volume, manner of sale, holding period and other limitations of Rule 144 or pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 701 under the Securities Act ("Rule 701"), subject to the lock-up agreements to be entered into by us, our executive officers and directors and substantially all of our stockholders, including the selling stockholders.

        In connection with this offering, we, our executive officers and directors and substantially all of our stockholders, including the selling stockholders, will sign lock-up agreements under which, subject to certain exceptions, we and they have agreed not to sell, transfer or dispose of or hedge, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our common stock for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus except with the prior written consent of            . See "Underwriting." Following the expiration of this 180-day lock-up period,            shares of our common stock will be eligible for future sale, subject to

30

Table of Contents

the applicable volume, manner of sale, holding period and other limitations of Rule 144 or pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 701. See "Shares Available for Future Sale" for a discussion of the shares of common stock that may be sold into the public market in the future. In addition, our significant stockholders may distribute shares that they hold to their investors who themselves may then sell into the public market following the expiration of the lock-up period. Such sales may not be subject to the volume, manner of sale, holding period and other limitations of Rule 144. As resale restrictions end, the market price of our common stock could decline if the holders of those shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. Furthermore, Providence has the right to require us to file a registration statement to register the resale of shares of common stock it holds.

        In the future, we may issue additional shares of common stock or other equity or debt securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our common stock in connection with a financing, strategic investment, litigation settlement or employee arrangement or otherwise. Any of these issuances could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish misleading or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

        The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not currently have, and may not obtain or sustain, research coverage for our common stock. If there is no research coverage of our common stock, the trading price for our common stock may be negatively impacted. In the event we obtain research coverage for our common stock, if one or more of the analysts downgrades our stock or publishes misleading or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of the analysts ceases coverage of our common stock or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which could cause our common stock price or trading volume to decline.

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.

        If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest in us will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. Assuming an initial public offering price of $            per share, purchasers of common stock in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in net tangible book value of $            per share. See "Dilution" for a more detailed description of the dilution to new investors in the offering.

        You may also be diluted by the future issuance of additional shares of common stock in connection with our equity compensation plans, acquisitions or otherwise.

Providence has significant influence over us and may not always exercise its influence in a way that benefits our public stockholders.

        Following the completion of this offering, Providence will own approximately      % of the outstanding shares of our common stock, assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares from the selling stockholders. As a result, Providence will continue to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring stockholder approval for the foreseeable future, including approval of significant corporate transactions, which may reduce the market price of our common stock.

31

Table of Contents

        Because Providence's interests may differ from your interests, actions Providence takes as our controlling stockholder may not be favorable to you. For example, the concentration of ownership held by Providence could delay, defer or prevent a change of control of us or impede a merger, takeover or other business combination that another stockholder may otherwise view favorably. Other potential conflicts could arise, for example, over matters such as employee retention or recruiting, or our dividend policy.

        Furthermore, as long as Providence continues to beneficially own a majority of our outstanding common stock, Providence generally will be able to determine the outcome of corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, including the election of the members of our board of directors and the approval of significant corporate transactions, such as mergers and the sale of substantially all of our assets. Even after Providence reduces its beneficial ownership below 50% of our outstanding common stock, it will likely still be able to assert significant influence over our board of directors and certain corporate actions. Following the completion of this offering, Providence will continue to have the right to designate for nomination for election one or more of our directors so long as it beneficially owns at least 5% of our common stock. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Relationship with Providence Following this Offering—Stockholders Agreements."

Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, Providence and its affiliates and, in some circumstances, any of our directors and officers who is also a director, officer, employee, member or partner of Providence and its affiliates, will have no obligation to offer us corporate opportunities.

        The policies relating to corporate opportunities and transactions with Providence set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will address potential conflicts of interest between DoubleVerify, on the one hand, and Providence and its officers, directors, employees, members or partners who are directors or officers of our company, on the other hand. In accordance with those policies, Providence may pursue corporate opportunities, including acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, without offering those opportunities to us. By becoming a stockholder in DoubleVerify, you will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to these provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Although these provisions are designed to resolve conflicts between us and Providence and its affiliates fairly, conflicts may not be resolved in our favor or be resolved at all.

Future offerings of debt or equity securities which would rank senior to our common stock may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

        If, in the future, we decide to issue debt or equity securities that rank senior to our common stock, it is likely that such securities will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock and may result in dilution to owners of our common stock. We and, indirectly, our stockholders, will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any future offerings. Thus, holders of our common stock will bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our common stock or diluting the value of their stock holdings in us.

32

Table of Contents

Fulfilling our obligations incident to being a public company, including compliance with the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act, will be expensive and time-consuming, and any delays or difficulties in satisfying these obligations could have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations and our stock price.

        As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting, accounting and corporate governance requirements of            , the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection, or the "Dodd-Frank Act," that apply to issuers of listed equity, which impose certain significant compliance requirements, costs and obligations upon us. The changes necessitated by being a publicly listed company require a significant commitment of additional resources and management oversight which increase our operating costs. Further, to comply with the requirements of being a public company, we may need to undertake various actions, such as implementing new internal controls and procedures and hiring additional accounting or internal audit staff. These laws and regulations also could make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as our executive officers.

        The expenses associated with being a public company include increases in auditing, accounting and legal fees and expenses, investor relations expenses, increased directors' fees and director and officer liability insurance costs, registrar and transfer agent fees and listing fees, as well as other expenses. As a public company, we are required, among other things, to define and expand the roles and the duties of our board of directors and its committees and institute more comprehensive compliance and investor relations functions. Failure to comply with the requirements of being a public company could potentially subject us to sanctions or investigations by the SEC,            or other regulatory authorities, delisting of our common stock, and potentially civil litigation.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting related to our control environment. If our remediation of the material weaknesses is not effective, or if we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting in the future, our ability to timely and accurately report our financial condition or results of operations could be impaired, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and the value of our common stock may be negatively affected.

        We currently are not required to comply with the rules of the SEC implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are, therefore, not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. Upon becoming a public company, we will be required to provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, beginning with our second annual report on Form 10-K. Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until after we are no longer an "emerging growth company" as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed, or operating. Any failure to implement and maintain effective disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results, and cause a decline in the market price of our common stock.

        During the course of preparing for this offering, we identified a number of deficiencies related to the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls constituting material weaknesses in our control environment. Certain of those deficiencies relate to IT general controls over certain financially significant applications, management review controls and segregation of duties, and lack of sufficient resources with an appropriate level of technical accounting knowledge that are relevant to the

33

Table of Contents

preparation and review of the Company's consolidated financial statements, which constituted material weaknesses in our system of internal control. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

        We are currently in the process of remediating the above material weaknesses, but there can be no assurance as to when the remediation plan will be fully implemented, or that the plan, as currently designed, will adequately remediate the material weaknesses. We are taking numerous steps to enhance our internal control environment and address the underlying causes of the material weaknesses, primarily through the implementation of IT general controls to manage access and program changes within our IT environment, designing additional preventative and monitoring controls during the financial statement close and reporting process, and hiring additional financial reporting personnel with technical accounting and financial reporting experience; however, our current efforts to design and implement an effective control environment may not be sufficient to remediate the material weaknesses described above or prevent future material weaknesses or other deficiencies from occurring. There is no assurance that we will not identify additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in the future.

        If we do not effectively remediate these material weaknesses in our control environment, if we identify future material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, or if we are unable to comply with the demands that will be placed upon us as a public company, including the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in a timely manner, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results, or report them within the timeframes required by the SEC, resulting in reputational harm, distractions to management and our board of directors or disruptions to our business, a loss in confidence by investors in the reliability of our financial statements or restricted access to the capital markets, any of which could negatively impact our stock price. We also could become subject to sanctions or investigations by the        , the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In addition, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and our stock price may be adversely affected.

Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws could discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company and may affect the trading price of our common stock.

        Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated by-laws will include a number of provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a change in our management or control over us that stockholders may consider favorable. For example, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws collectively will:

•

authorize the issuance of "blank check" preferred stock that could be issued by our board of directors to thwart a takeover attempt;



•

provide for a classified board of directors, which divides our board of directors into three classes, with members of each class serving staggered three-year terms, which prevents stockholders from electing an entirely new board of directors at an annual meeting;



•

limit the ability of stockholders to remove directors if Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock;

34

Table of Contents

•

provide that vacancies on our board of directors, including vacancies resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by a majority vote of directors then in office;



•

prohibit stockholders from calling special meetings of stockholders if Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock;



•

prohibit stockholder action by written consent, thereby requiring all actions to be taken at a meeting of the stockholders, if Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock;



•

establish advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election as directors or to bring other business before an annual meeting of our stockholders; and



•

require the approval of holders of at least 66²/3% of the outstanding shares of our common stock to amend our amended and restated by-laws and certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation if Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

        These provisions may prevent our stockholders from receiving the benefit from any premium to the market price of our common stock offered by a bidder in a takeover context. Even in the absence of a takeover attempt, the existence of these provisions may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock if the provisions are viewed as discouraging takeover attempts in the future. See "Description of Capital Stock—Anti-Takeover Effects of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws."

        Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws may also make it difficult for stockholders to replace or remove our management. Furthermore, the existence of the foregoing provisions, as well as the significant amount of common stock that Providence will continue to own following this offering, could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. These provisions may facilitate management entrenchment that may delay, deter, render more difficult or prevent a change in our control, which may not be in the best interests of our stockholders.

We could be the subject of securities class action litigation due to future stock price volatility, which could divert management's attention and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

        The stock market in general, and market prices for the securities of companies like ours in particular, have from time to time experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of the underlying companies. A certain degree of stock price volatility can be attributed to being a newly public company. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In certain situations in which the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our stockholders were to bring a similar lawsuit against us, the defense and disposition of the lawsuit could be costly and divert the time and attention of our management and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment depends on appreciation in the price of our common stock.

        We do not intend to declare and pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to use our future earnings, if any, to fund our growth, including through acquisitions, and for working capital needs and general corporate purposes. Therefore, you are not

35

Table of Contents

likely to receive any dividends on your common stock for the foreseeable future, and the success of an investment in shares of our common stock depends upon any future appreciation in their value. There is no guarantee that shares of our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our stockholders have purchased their shares. Payments of dividends, if any, are at the sole discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including general and economic conditions, our financial condition and operating results, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions and implications of the payment of dividends by us to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries to us, and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our operations are conducted almost entirely through our subsidiaries. As such, to the extent that we determine in the future to pay dividends on our common stock, we will rely on our subsidiaries to make funds available to us for the payment of dividends. Further, the New Revolving Credit Facility limits the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or otherwise transfer assets to us. In addition, Delaware law imposes additional requirements that may restrict our ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock.

We are an emerging growth company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

        We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other reduced requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. In addition, under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised financial accounting standards until such time as those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We took advantage of many of the reduced burdens during the course of the confidential submission and filing process with the SEC and may continue to choose to take advantage of some or all of these reduced burdens and, as such, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than you may receive from other public companies in which you hold equity interests. We do not know if some investors will find our common stock less attractive as a result of our utilization of these exemptions. The result may be a less active trading market for our common stock and increased volatility in the price of our common stock.

We expect to be a "controlled company" within the meaning of            rules and, as a result, we will qualify for, and currently intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. You will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.

        After the completion of this offering, Providence will continue to control a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. Accordingly, we expect to qualify as a "controlled company" within the meaning of            corporate governance standards. Under            rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a "controlled company" and may elect not to comply with certain            corporate governance standards, including:

•

the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors;



•

the requirement that our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities;



•

the requirement that we have a Compensation Committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities; and



•

the requirement for an annual performance evaluation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees.

36

Table of Contents

        Following this offering, we intend to continue to utilize many of these exemptions. As a result, we will not have a majority of independent directors, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Compensation Committees will not consist entirely of independent directors and such committees may not be subject to annual performance evaluations. Additionally, we are only required to have all independent audit committee members within one year from the date of listing. Consequently, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of            corporate governance rules and requirements. Our status as a controlled company could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.

At such time as Providence no longer controls a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock, we will no longer be a "controlled company" within the meaning of            rules. However, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements during a one-year transition period.

        At such time as Providence no longer controls a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock, we will no longer be a "controlled company" within the meaning of            corporate governance standards.            rules require that we (i) have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors within one year of the date we no longer qualify as a "controlled company", (ii) have at least one independent director on each of the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees on the date we no longer qualify as a "controlled company," at least a majority of independent directors on each of the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees within 90 days of such date and the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees composed entirely of independent directors within one year of such date, and (iii) perform an annual performance evaluation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees. During this transition period, we may continue to utilize the available exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements as permitted by            rules. Accordingly, during the transition period you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of            .

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or stockholders.

        Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed to us or our stockholders by any of our directors, officers, other employees, agents or stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising out of or under the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (including, without limitation, any action asserting a claim arising out of or pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated by-laws) or (iv) any action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to such Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. The exclusive forum provision will not apply to claims arising under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act and will not preclude or contract the scope of exclusive or concurrent federal jurisdiction for any actions brought under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act. Accordingly, the exclusive forum provision will not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations. Unless the Company consents in

37

Table of Contents

writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any claim arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. By becoming a stockholder in our company, you will be deemed to have notice of and have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation related to choice of forum, provided that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. The choice of forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees, agents or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will include provisions limiting the personal liability of our directors for breaches of fiduciary duty under the DGCL.

        Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain provisions eliminating a director's personal liability to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL for monetary damages resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, except in circumstances involving:

•

any breach of the director's duty of loyalty;



•

acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law;



•

under Section 174 of the DGCL (unlawful dividends); or



•

any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

        The principal effect of the limitation on liability provision is that a stockholder will be unable to prosecute an action for monetary damages against a director unless the stockholder can demonstrate a basis for liability for which indemnification is not available under the DGCL. These provisions, however, should not limit or eliminate our rights or any stockholder's rights to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director's fiduciary duty. These provisions will not alter a director's liability under federal securities laws. The inclusion of this provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may discourage or deter stockholders or management from bringing a lawsuit against directors for a breach of their fiduciary duties, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise have benefited us and our stockholders.

38

Table of Contents

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus contains forward-looking statements and cautionary statements. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "shall," "should," "would," "could," "seeks," "aims," "projects," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this prospectus and include, without limitation, statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, assumptions or current expectations concerning, among other things, our financial position; results of operations; industry outlook; and growth strategies or expectations.

        Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and that actual performance and outcomes, including, without limitation, our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the market in which we operate, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, and the development of the market in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. A number of important factors, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties discussed under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this prospectus, could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation:

•

our ability to respond to technological development and evolving industry standards;



•

our ability to compete with our current and future competitors;



•

our ability to retain existing customers, obtain new customers and generate revenue from new customers;



•

system failures, security breaches, cyberattacks or natural disasters that could interrupt the operation of our platform and data centers;



•

our reliance on demand- and supply-side advertising platforms, ad servers and social platforms to accept and integrate with our technology;



•

economic downturns and unstable market conditions (including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic);



•

the ability of our integration partners to accurately and timely pay us;



•

defects, errors or inaccuracies associated with our platform;



•

our long and time consuming sales cycles;



•

our ability to retain our senior management team and other key personnel;



•

the application, interpretation, and enforcement of digital advertising and data privacy and protection laws and regulations;



•

the impact of public criticism of digital advertising technology on our business;



•

the assertion of third-party intellectual property rights and our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights;



•

our ability to integrate businesses acquired;

39

Table of Contents

•

our ability to manage our business and conduct our operations internationally;



•

our use of "open source" software;



•

seasonal fluctuations in advertising activity;



•

our limited operating history;



•

adverse developments in the tax laws and regulations;



•

impairment of goodwill or other intangible and long-lived assets;



•

restrictions in the New Revolving Credit Facility;



•

future sales of shares by us or our existing stockholders;



•

lack of research or misleading or unfavorable research published about our business by securities or industry analysts;



•

Providence's significant influence over us;



•

future offerings of debt or equity securities which would rank senior to our common stock;



•

our ability to remediate material weaknesses and maintain an effective system of internal controls; and



•

our ability to fulfill our obligations incident to being a public company, including compliance with the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act.

        You should read this prospectus completely and with the understanding that actual future results may be materially different from expectations. All forward-looking statements made in this prospectus are qualified by these cautionary statements. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this prospectus, and we do not undertake any obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking or cautionary statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events, unanticipated or otherwise, and changes in future operating results over time or otherwise.

40

Table of Contents

USE OF PROCEEDS

        We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of $             million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $            per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares being sold by the selling stockholders (including pursuant to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares from the selling stockholders).

        We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay all amounts outstanding under our New Revolving Credit Facility. As of            , we had $          outstanding under the New Revolving Credit Facility. The New Revolving Credit Facility matures in            and accrues interest at LIBOR (as defined in the New Revolving Credit Facility) plus a floating per annum rate. The interest rate on the New Revolving Credit Facility was        % as of            . The borrowings under the New Revolving Credit Facility were incurred to repay all amounts outstanding under the Existing Credit Facilities. See "Description of Certain Indebtedness" for more information about the New Revolving Credit Facility. We will use any remaining proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes.

        A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $            per share would increase or decrease, as applicable, the net proceeds to us from this offering by $            , assuming the number of shares offered by us remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commission and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us would increase or decrease, as applicable, the net proceeds to us by $             million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price of $            per share and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The information discussed above is illustrative only and will change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. We expect any increase or decrease in the net proceeds received to increase or decrease, as applicable, the amount available for general corporate purposes.

41

Table of Contents

DIVIDEND POLICY

        We do not intend to declare or pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to use our future earnings, if any, to fund our growth, including for working capital needs, acquisitions and general corporate purposes. Any future determination to pay dividends on our common stock will be subject to the discretion of our board of directors and depend upon various factors, including our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity requirements, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, contractual restrictions imposed by the New Revolving Credit Facility and the agreements governing any indebtedness we or our subsidiaries may incur in the future, restrictions imposed by Delaware law, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

        We did not declare or pay any dividends on our common stock in 2018, 2019 or the first nine months of 2020.

42

Table of Contents

CAPITALIZATION

        The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization on a consolidated basis as of            , 2020 on:

•

an actual basis; and



•

an as adjusted basis to give effect to (i) the sale by us of                        shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $            per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us and (ii) the use of the net proceeds therefrom as described in "Use of Proceeds."

        You should read this table in conjunction with "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Description of Certain Indebtedness," "Use of Proceeds" and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

•

        shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options outstanding as of            , 2020 at a weighted average exercise price of $          per share;



•

        shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding as of            , 2020; and



•

        shares of common stock reserved for future issuance following this offering under our equity plans.

43

Table of Contents

DILUTION

        If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest in us will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. Dilution results from the fact that the per share offering price of the common stock exceeds the book value per share attributable to the shares of common stock held by existing stockholders.

        Our net tangible book value as of            , 2020 was $          . Net tangible book value per share before the offering has been determined by dividing net tangible book value (total book value of tangible assets less total liabilities) by the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of            , 2020.

        After giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock sold by us and the selling stockholders in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $            per share and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our adjusted net tangible book value as of            , 2020 would have been $             million, or $            per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value per share of $            to the existing stockholders and an immediate and substantial dilution in net tangible book value per share of $            to new investors who purchase shares in this offering. The following table illustrates this per share dilution to new investors:

        A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $            per share would increase or decrease, as applicable, total consideration paid by new investors and total consideration paid by all stockholders by $             million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us set forth on the front cover of this prospectus remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us would increase or decrease, as applicable, the total consideration paid to us by new investors and total consideration paid to us by all stockholders by $             million, assuming no change in the initial public offering price of $            per share and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

        The following table summarizes, as of            , 2020, the total number of shares of common stock purchased from us, the total consideration paid to us and the average price per share paid by the

44

Table of Contents

existing stockholders and by new investors purchasing shares in this offering (amounts in thousands, except percentages and per share data):

        The foregoing table does not reflect stock options or restricted stock units outstanding under our equity compensation plans or stock options or restricted stock units to be granted after this offering. As of            , 2020, there were stock options outstanding with an average exercise price of $          per share and          restricted stock units outstanding.

        After giving effect to the sale of shares by us and the selling stockholders in this offering (excluding shares sold pursuant to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares), new investors will hold            shares, or        % of the total number of shares of common stock after this offering and existing stockholders will hold        % of the total shares outstanding. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, the number of shares held by new investors will increase to            , or        % of the total number of shares of common stock after this offering, and the percentage of shares held by existing stockholders will decrease to        % of the total shares outstanding.

        In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of such securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

45

Table of Contents

SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

        The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated financial data derived from our consolidated financial statements as of the dates and for each of the periods indicated. The selected historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected historical consolidated financial data for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and as of September 30, 2020 are derived from our unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future period and results from interim periods are not indicative of full year results.

        This "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data" is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated financial statements and related notes and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in this prospectus.

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

46

Table of Contents

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

47

Table of Contents

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

        You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. You should read the "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" sections of this prospectus for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

Company Overview

        We are a leading software platform for digital media measurement and analytics. Our mission is to help the world's largest brands improve the effectiveness of their digital advertising. Our platform provides data analytics that enable our customers to improve their advertising performance across the digital advertising ecosystem.

        Our customers include many of the largest global advertisers and digital ad platforms and publishers. We deliver our suite of measurement solutions through a robust and scalable software platform that provides our customers with unified data analytics. We provide a consistent measurement standard across all major forms of digital media, making it easier for advertiser and supply-side customers to benchmark performance across all of their digital ads and to optimize their digital strategies in real time. Our coverage spans over 40 key geographies where our customers are located and covers all major purchasing channels, media formats and devices.

        Our company was founded in 2008 and introduced our first brand safety solution in 2010. We launched our first viewability and fraud solutions in 2013 and 2014, respectively. As the global digital advertising market has evolved, we have continued to expand our measurement capabilities and market coverage through new product innovation, increasing our international footprint and new platform partnerships. We announced our first social media platform partnership in 2017 and launched our CTV certification program in 2020.

        We have experienced rapid growth and have achieved significant profitability in recent years as evidenced by the following:

•

We generated revenue of $182.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2019 and $104.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, representing an increase of 75%. We generated revenue of $             million in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and $             million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019, representing an increase of        %.



•

Excluding the impact of acquisitions, we grew revenue 71% during the year ended December 31, 2019 relative to the revenue generated in the year ended December 31, 2018, and        % during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 relative to revenue generated in the nine months ended September 30, 2019.



•

Our net income was $23.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Our net income was $                         million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and $             million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.



•

Our Adjusted EBITDA was $69.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and $26.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Our Adjusted EBITDA was

48

Table of Contents

$             million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and $             million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. For information on how we compute Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income, see "Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Data."

        In 2019, we generated 92% of our revenue from advertisers. We derive revenue from our advertising customers based on the volume of purchased digital ads that our software platform measures. Advertisers utilize the DV Authentic Ad, our definitive measure of digital media quality, to evaluate the brand safety, existence of fraud, viewability and geography for each digital ad. Advertisers pay us a cost per thousand impressions ("CPM") based on the volume of purchased digital ads that we measure on their behalf. We maintain an expansive set of direct integrations across the entire digital advertising ecosystem, including with leading programmatic and social platforms, which enables us to provide our customers full coverage across all key channels, formats and devices. In 2019, 8% of our revenue was generated from our supply-side customers to validate the quality of their ad inventory. We generate revenue from supply-side customers based on monthly or annual contracts with minimum guarantees and tiered pricing when guarantees are met.

        We believe that there are meaningful long-term growth opportunities within the digital advertising market. We plan to continue to invest in the development of new and premium solutions that increase our value proposition to customers and to extend our solutions capabilities to cover new and growing digital channels and devices, including CTV, new mobile apps and other emerging areas of digital ad spend. We plan to continue to invest in sales and marketing to grow our existing customer relationships and acquire new customers. In addition, we maintain an active pipeline of potential M&A targets and intend to continue evaluating add-on opportunities to bolster our current solutions suite and complement our organic growth initiatives.

        Furthermore, we believe that there are significant growth opportunities in markets outside of North America. We plan to continue to invest in sales and marketing to expand in markets across Europe and the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and South America. We expect to continue to make investments across information technology, financial and administrative systems and controls to support our operations as we grow.

Factors Affecting Our Performance

        There are a number of factors that have impacted, and we believe will continue to impact, our results of operations and growth. These factors include:

        Significant Growth in Digital Ad Spend.    According to Magna Global, global digital ad spend, excluding search, reached over $155 billion in 2019 and grew at an average annual rate of 19% between 2015 and 2019. Our revenues have grown substantially as a result of the growth in digital advertising as well as the continued adoption of digital measurement solutions and analytics. As the digital advertising market has grown, advertisers have increasingly shifted their digital media spend to both programmatic and social media channels in order to directly target advertisements to achieve desired business outcomes. We have been direct beneficiaries of this growth by virtue of our integrations with leading programmatic and social media platforms. In the year ended December 31, 2019, the revenues that we generated by providing our solutions to programmatic and social media advertisers grew 126% and 165%, respectively.

        Growth of Existing Customers.    Our customers include many of the largest digital advertisers in the world and we retained 100% of our top 50 customers during each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. We expect to continue to grow with our existing customers as they increase their spend on digital advertising and as we introduce new solutions across key channels, formats, devices and geographies. We define our net revenue retention rate as the total current period revenue earned from advertiser customers, which were also customers during the entire most recent twelve-month period,

49

Table of Contents

divided by the total prior year period revenue earned from the same advertiser customers, excluding a portion of our revenues that cannot be allocated to specific advertiser customers. We have generated strong historical net revenue retention rates, with 156% for the year ended December 31, 2019 and 130% for the year ended December 31, 2018.

        New Customers.    We expect the increasing demand for third-party digital advertising data analytics to fuel continued adoption of our solutions. We estimate that in 2019 the total addressable market for our core solutions was approximately $8 billion globally and was less than 15% penetrated. Given the size of this currently underserved market, we believe there is a long runway of new customer growth, as advertisers, programmatic platforms, social media channels and digital publishers are collectively placing increased emphasis on the quality and effectiveness of digital ad spend across all channels, formats and devices. We intend to continue targeting new customers who have not yet adopted digital ad measurement solutions, as well as those currently utilizing solutions provided by our competitors.

        New Solutions and Channels.    We have a strong track record of developing new solutions that have high adoption rates with our existing customers. We intend to extend our solutions capabilities to cover new and growing digital channels and devices, including CTV, new mobile apps and other emerging areas of digital ad spend. At the end of 2018, we launched our Authentic Brand Safety solution that allows our customers to target certain contexts for their ads using granular brand safety parameters and significantly reduce wasted ad spend, which drove $19.8 million of new revenue in 2019. In 2020, we developed and launched several new solutions: (i) our CTV Targeting Certification for programmatic platforms, (ii) the DV Publisher Suite that offers yield improvement and measurement capabilities to digital publishers, and (iii) a beta version of our DV Authentic Performance solution that provides exposure and engagement predictive analytics to drive campaign performance, and is slated for general release in the beginning of 2021.

        New Geographies.    Our customer base is predominately U.S.-based today. We intend to grow our presence in international markets in order to meet the needs of our existing customers and accelerate new customer acquisition in key geographies outside of North America. We expanded into ten countries during 2019 and 2018, which has accelerated our revenue growth in those markets. Our expansion to new geographies has helped us to win the international business of our existing customers and enabled us to win the business of some of the world's largest international advertisers.

        Seasonality.    We experience fluctuations in revenue that coincide with seasonal fluctuations in the digital ad spending of our customers. Advertisers typically allocate the largest portion of their media budgets to the fourth quarter of the calendar year in order to coincide with increased holiday purchasing. As a result, the fourth quarter of the year typically reflects our highest level of measurement activity while the first quarter reflects the lowest level of such activity. We expect our revenue to continue to fluctuate based on seasonal factors that affect the advertising industry as a whole. While our revenue is highly recurring, seasonal fluctuations in ad spend may impact quarter-over-quarter results. We believe that the year-over-year comparison of results more appropriately reflects the overall performance of the business.

        Public Company Costs.    As a result of this initial public offering, we will incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not previously incur, including costs associated with SEC reporting and corporate governance requirements. These requirements include compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as well as other rules implemented by the SEC and            . Our financial statements following this offering will reflect the impact of these expenses.

        COVID-19.    Since January 2020, an outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") has evolved into a worldwide pandemic. We have modified our operations in line with our business continuity plans. As a result of the pandemic, we have temporarily closed our offices globally, including our corporate headquarters in New York, and are operating with substantially all staff working

50

Table of Contents

remotely. On a daily basis, management is reviewing operations and there have been to date minimal interruptions in our customer facing operations.

        Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to experience revenue growth over the prior year and the primary impact of the pandemic on our business has been a moderation of our revenue growth in 2020 as compared to 2019. The underlying demand for our products has remained relatively unchanged, with limited disruption on our new customer sales. We have not to date experienced a material increase in customers' cancellations, or requests for more favorable contractual terms, or concessions. We have also not experienced a significant deterioration in the collectability of our receivables or a material negative impact from our vendors and third-party service providers.

        During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we generated growth of            in total revenue as compared to the comparable period in 2019. Our ability to grow revenue within our existing customer accounts has remained strong, with a net revenue retention of            for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Our existing customer base has remained largely stable, and we have been able to maintain 100% retention of our top 50 customers through the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Additionally, we generated net cash provided by operating activities of $             million in that same period. We have had ample liquidity and capital resources to continue to meet our operating needs, and our ability to continue to service our debt or other financial obligations is not currently impaired.

        While the impact on our business of the pandemic has been limited to date, our revenues are dependent on advertiser demand. The pandemic has resulted in market disruptions and a global economic slowdown, which has materially impacted demand for a broad variety of goods and services, and is also disrupting sales channels and marketing activities. To the extent that demand for digital advertising declines, our results and our financial condition may be materially impacted. The duration of such disruptions is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. See "Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—Economic downturns and unstable market conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations."

        While the factors above may present significant opportunities for us, they also pose significant risks and challenges. See "Risk Factors" for more information on risks and uncertainties that may impact our business and financial results.

Components of Our Results of Operations

        We manage our business operations and report our financial results in a single segment.

Revenue

        Our customers use our solutions to measure their digital advertisements. We generate revenue based on the volume of purchased digital ads that our software platform measures.

        In 2019, we generated over 92% of our revenue from advertiser customers. Advertisers can purchase our services to measure the quality and performance of ads purchased directly from digital properties, including publishers and social media platforms, which we track as Advertiser Direct revenue. Advertisers can also purchase our services through programmatic platforms to evaluate the quality of ad inventories before they are purchased, which we track as Advertiser Programmatic revenue. We generate revenue from advertisers by charging a CPM based on the volume of purchased digital ads that we measure on behalf of our customers. We recognize revenue from advertisers in the period in which we provide our measurement solutions. Advertisers typically leverage the full suite of our proprietary DV Authentic Ad metric to evaluate and measure the brand safety, existence of fraud, viewability and geography for their digital ad investments. We have long-term relationships with many

51

Table of Contents

of our customers, with an average relationship of over five years for our top 50 customers, and ongoing contractual agreements with a substantial portion of our customer base.

        In 2019, we generated 8% of our revenue from supply-side customers who use our data analytics to validate the quality of their ad inventory and provide data to their customers to facilitate targeting and purchasing digital ads. We generate revenue from supply-side customers based on monthly or annual contracts with minimum guarantees and tiered pricing when guarantees are met. We recognize revenue ratably over the contract term beginning on the date our product is made available to them, which typically begins on the commencement date of each contract.

        The following table disaggregates revenue between advertiser customers (on both a direct and programmatic basis), where revenue is generated based on number of ads measured, and supply-side customers, where revenue is generated based on contracted minimum guarantees and tiered pricing when guarantees are met.