Brainlabs recently announced that it has secured major investment from private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners (FCP). This partnership reinforces the success of the independent agency’s high-performance approach to media – which has seen it deliver measurable, profitable, and sustainable business impact to clients worldwide, powered by data and technology.
This funding drives the agency another step closer to becoming the world’s largest independent media agency, supporting global expansion plans as it launches hubs in additional markets across Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America.
Founder and Global CEO Daniel Gilbert remains at the helm in partnership with Stephen Allan, Executive Chair and former Worldwide Chairman & CEO of MediaCom. And Brainlabs also welcomes Lisa Sherman, President and CEO – The Ad Council and Alexander Jutkowitz, Executive in Residence – FCP, to the board as non-executive directors.
Launched in 2012, Brainlabs quickly achieved a reputation as an industry trailblazer – garnering the young agency’s early interest from the industry and investors alike, with Gilbert first taking investment in 2019 from private equity firm Livingbridge. In the four years since then, the agency has seen top-line growth of 800% and integrated eight strategic acquisitions. The client portfolio includes WeTransfer, Estée Lauder Companies, and Adidas.
KEY QUOTES:
“We’ve come a long way since I started the agency in my parents’ attic, just over 10 years ago. From day one, this business has been built on the belief that high performance in media would require a data-driven, tech-enabled methodology, rooted in digital media. With digitization comes measurability and that’s why we created an agency with the culture to create and test, finding both the big game-changing moves and the marginal gains for our clients, using the smartest tech and the sharpest minds. I know that at Brainlabs, we have created something groundbreaking. Our success signals a new era, and we will be the first in a wave of challengers who will be pioneers: setting a new industry standard for media agencies. Our partnership with the equally forward-thinking Falfurrias Capital Partners validates that. There are so many people I’d like to thank, most of all of our extraordinary Brainlabbers and, of course, Livingbridge for their support over the last four years.”
– Founder & Global CEO Daniel Gilbert
“When I came on board, I said that Brainlabs was a leading digital media agency which had proven itself to be a formidable competitor. I could see a very real opportunity for us to scale the business and to act for an increasing number of multinational and global clients, who would be excited by our unique approach to their media investments. Today’s announcement further solidifies this ambition. In the two years since I joined, we have welcomed more and more global brands to our client roster, who are seeing phenomenal results from our teams worldwide. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our previous investors Livingbridge for their support in our rapid growth story and look forward to partnering with the team at Falfurrias to take this growth to the next level.”
– Executive Chair Stephen Allan
“We are unbelievably excited to back visionary founders like Steve and Dan. With his experience of building one of the first media independents, and then later leading WPP’s MediaCom, Steve helped shape the current media agency landscape. Using a revolutionary approach to data and tech, Dan embodies a new breed of media industry pioneers. There’s no limit on what we can accomplish together.”
– Geordie Pierson, Falfurrias Capital Partners
“For too long, the market has been given a limited choice of either performance or brand media. Brainlabs offers a third option, a combination of both disciplines optimized to achieve the best outcomes for brands. We are thrilled to continue to partner with dynamic innovators like Dan and Steve – setting a new, better standard in media that puts the needs of clients first.”
– Alexander Jutkowitz
