Direct Digital Holdings, Inc.

S-11 directdigital-sx1april2026.htm S-1

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29, 2026.

Registration Statement No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Direct Digital Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1177 West Loop South, Suite 1310

Houston, Texas 77027

(832) 402-1051

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Mark Walker

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Keith Smith

President

Direct Digital Holdings, Inc.

1177 West Loop South, Suite 1310

Houston, Texas 77027

(832) 402-1051

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Stephen E. Older, Esq.

Andrew J. Terjesen, Esq.

McGuireWoods LLP

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 20 th Floor

New York, NY 10020

(212) 548-2100

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time 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: x

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, 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

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 or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholder named in this prospectus may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and the selling stockholder named in this prospectus is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED APRIL 29, 2026

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

Up to 20,000,000 Shares of Class A Common Stock

This prospectus relates to the resale by Roth Principal Investments LLC (“Roth Principal Investments” or the “Selling Stockholder”) from time to time, of up to 20,000,000 shares of our Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”).

The shares of Class A Common Stock being offered by the Selling Stockholder may be purchased pursuant to a Class A Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated April 28, 2026, that we entered into with Roth Principal Investments (the “Purchase Agreement”). The shares being offered for resale by this prospectus consist of up to 20,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock that we may, in our sole discretion, elect to issue and sell to Roth Principal Investments, from time to time after the date of this prospectus, pursuant to (and limited by the terms of) the Purchase Agreement. See “The Committed Equity Facility” for a description of the Purchase Agreement and “The Selling Stockholder” for additional information regarding Roth Principal Investments. The prices at which Roth Principal Investments may sell the shares will be determined by the prevailing market price for the shares or in negotiated transactions.

We are not selling any securities under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of Class A Common Stock by the Selling Stockholder. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not yet sold any shares of Class A Common Stock that are the subject of this prospectus to Roth Principal Investments under the Purchase Agreement. We may receive up to $50,000,000 aggregate gross proceeds (subject to certain limitations) under the Purchase Agreement from any sales we make to Roth Principal Investments pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

Our registration of the resale of the securities covered by this prospectus does not mean that Roth Principal Investments will offer or sell any of the Class A Common Stock. Subject to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Selling Stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Class A Common Stock described in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. See “Plan of Distribution (Conflict of Interest)” for more information about how the Selling Stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Class A Common Stock the offering of which is being registered pursuant to this prospectus. The Selling Stockholder is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The Selling Stockholder will pay all brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses related to the resale of the securities described herein. We will pay the expenses (except brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses) incurred in registering the offering of the shares of Class A Common Stock, including legal and accounting fees. See “Plan of Distribution (Conflict of Interest).” We have also engaged Digital Offering, LLC to act as a “qualified independent underwriter” in this offering and have agreed to pay their fees for such services.

We are a “smaller reporting company” and an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities laws and, as such, are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company.”

Our shares of Class A Common Stock are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “DRCT.” On April 28, 2026, the closing sale price of our Class A Common Stock was $2.87 per share.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should read “Risk Factors” beginning on page 16 of this prospectus and the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, incorporated by reference in this prospectus, to read about factors to consider before purchasing our securities.

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under this prospectus or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is , 2026.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under the circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. Neither we nor the Selling Stockholder have authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Neither we nor the Selling Stockholder take any responsibility for, or can provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any information other than the information in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus. The information in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus, as applicable, or any sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have changed since that date.

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