Are there any publisher direct marketplaces that handle limited inventory access?

Yes — several publisher-direct marketplaces can support limited inventory access, though the exact setup varies by publisher and platform. In practice, this usually means one of these models:

• Invite-only / approved buyers: only selected advertisers can buy certain premium or limited packages.
• Deal-based access: inventory is exposed through PMPs, PG, or curated deals, not open exchange.
• Caps and throttling: publishers can limit impressions, frequency, geo, device, or audience segments.
• First-look / preferred access: buyers get early or priority access, but not all available inventory.
• Private marketplace wrappers: access is controlled through deal IDs and seat permissions.

Common examples of publisher-direct marketplace setups

• Google Ad Manager / AdX with PMPs or Programmatic Guaranteed
• Index Exchange private marketplace deals
• OpenX private marketplace
• Magnite / SpotX publisher marketplaces
• PubMatic private marketplace
• Xandr/Microsoft Monetize deal-based buying
• Amazon Publisher Services integrations with curated access

If you mean a true “publisher-direct marketplace”

Some publishers run their own direct-buyer portals or commerce-style platforms, but most “marketplaces” in ad tech are really deal layers on top of SSPs/ad servers rather than standalone stores.

Best fit if inventory is limited

If you need controlled access to scarce inventory, look for platforms that support:

• deal IDs
• buyer seat approval
• frequency and pacing controls
• reservation/guarantee
• audience and geo restrictions
• reporting by buyer or campaign

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a list of platforms by publishers/SSPs,
2. a comparison table, or
3. recommendations based on whether you’re a publisher or advertiser.