Vertical City Grows Elevator Screen Network to 10,000 Displays
2026-10-08 · via DailyDOOH
Vertical City says it has grown its elevator advertising network to 10,000 screens across Canada and the United States, and expects to become the largest elevator screen network in North America by early 2027, according to the company.
For operators and buyers watching the DOOH category, the number matters less than how it was built. Vertical City isn't primarily bolting ad screens onto elevator walls. Instead, it supplies the software layer that runs screens elevator manufacturers are already installing as part of the cab itself, then layers advertising inventory on top of functions like emergency communication and floor information.
That distinction is doing a lot of the growth work, according to the company. Fouad El-Masri, CEO and co-founder of Vertical City, said integrating screens into elevator infrastructure changes the economics and the speed at which the network can scale, calling 10,000 screens "a milestone" rather than "the destination."
Regulation as a growth driver
The release points to changing elevator safety requirements as an accelerant. Modern elevator systems increasingly need video from inside the cab and a way for emergency personnel to communicate visually with trapped passengers via on-screen text. Vertical City's pitch is that the same screen required for that compliance can also carry floor information, building updates and paid advertising, so building owners get a communications platform rather than a standalone ad device.
That framing is echoed by MAD Elevator, a partner on the hardware side. Steve Reich-Rohrwig, President and CEO of MAD Elevator Inc, said building owners don't need another standalone device and that combining emergency communication, floor information and property updates on one screen creates a more consistent experience.
The company's growth is also supported by partnerships with elevator OEMs, including a recently announced tie-up with KONE, one of the larger global elevator manufacturers. The announcement does not specify financial terms of that partnership or how many of the 10,000 screens came through OEM deals versus direct installs.
What it means for advertisers
On the sales side, Vertical Impression, Vertical City's media arm, is positioned to sell national and multi-market campaigns rather than isolated local elevator placements. The company argues elevator media retains a frequency advantage because the same riders pass the screen repeatedly. Partner Screenverse is cited as seeing that scale-plus-frequency combination as attractive to national advertisers.
What the announcement does not say is anything about screen specifications, hardware vendors beyond KONE and MAD Elevator, measurement methodology, or audience verification standards, all of which buyers evaluating elevator DOOH as a line item will likely want before committing budget at the scale Vertical City is describing.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from DailyDOOH for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Vertical City Reaches 10,000 Elevator Screens
Vertical City has announced that its elevator advertising network has reached 10,000 screens across Canada and the United States.
The company expects to be the largest elevator screen network in North America by early 2027 and we are told that behind this growth is a model that expands with the elevator industry itself.
Fouad El-Masri , CEO and co-founder of Vertical City told us “Once screens became part of the elevator itself, the model changed. Integration into that infrastructure changes the economics and the speed at which a media network can grow. Ten thousand screens is a milestone, but it’s not the destination. We think the elevator is becoming one of the most valuable connected environments in a building. Our goal is to build the infrastructure that connects that environment to building operators, elevator manufacturers and advertisers at a scale this industry hasn’t seen before.”
Alongside the screens it installs and operates directly, Vertical City partners with elevator manufacturers to provide software for screens deployed as part of their elevator systems. The software supports emergency communication, floor information, building messaging and other content, giving properties a direct channel to tenants, residents and visitors while creating new digital OOH inventory.
As more connected elevator screens enter service, Vertical City’s media network grows with them.
Changes in elevator safety requirements are helping accelerate the installation of connected displays.
Modern elevator systems increasingly require video from inside the cab and the ability for emergency personnel to communicate visually with passengers through text displayed on the screen. The same display can also carry floor information, building updates and other passenger content.
Vertical City provides the software layer that powers that experience across a growing number of screens.
For advertisers, a 10,000-screen network moves elevator media beyond isolated local placements and supports campaigns across multiple cities, states and provinces, reaching people where they live, work, study and travel. The growing footprint also expands the scale available through Vertical Impression, Vertical City’s media sales arm, which connects brands and agencies with audiences across Canada and the United States.
Those impressions also occur in an environment people pass through repeatedly, preserving the frequency that has long made elevator media distinctive. Vertical City partner Screenverse sees that combination of scale and repeated exposure as a compelling opportunity for national advertisers.
Vertical City’s growth strategy is supported by partnerships with major elevator OEMs that build and service elevators across North America, including a recent partnership with KONE.
Instead of adding a separate advertising device to the cab, the company’s software makes better use of screens that already have a functional reason to be there. For elevator manufacturers, that creates an opportunity to offer building owners a more capable communications platform.
MAD Elevator sees the same opportunity in bringing several building functions together on one connected screen. “Building owners don’t need another standalone device,” said Steve Reich-Rohrwig , President and CEO of MAD Elevator Inc. “Bringing emergency communication, floor information and property updates together gives them a more useful system and creates a more consistent experience for everyone who uses the building.”
Elevator media can now serve three audiences at once: property operators that need a useful communications platform, elevator manufacturers building a stronger digital experience and advertisers looking for meaningful multi-market scale.
Vertical Impression is Vertical City’s media sales arm, connecting advertisers and agencies with audiences across the company’s expanding network of elevator screens.
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