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iris Acquires MAA 'Breakthrough Agency' of 2015 Founded

19/04/2016
Advertising Agency
London, UK
52
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Acquisition will help build expertise & accelerate global growth

iris has announced its plans to further extend its network, services and skills through the acquisition of Founded, a creative agency with offices in London and San Francisco. The deal will further extend iris’ existing capabilities in Business Marketing, CRM, creative technology and strategic planning. 

In addition, the two agencies will together create a disruptive B2B proposition based on creativity and contextual innovation, and grounded by a strong commercial understanding of modern business brands.

The acquisition of Founded is part of iris’ bigger ambition, to bring in the best talent and specialists from a range of commercial, creative and cultural backgrounds to collaborate effectively around client challenges – and define the future of the agency model. 

Both agencies have recently been recognised with Agency of the Year accolades - Founded as MAA Breakthrough Agency of 2015, and iris as MAA Agency of the Year 2016, and Campaign Integrated Agency of the Year 2015. 

Ian Millner, CEO, IRIS, says: “We are really excited to be working with Founded; I think we can learn loads from each other and will benefit from their skills and experiences. We will also be able to work together to build an exciting opportunity in San Francisco, and a more progressive view of the global B2B market. 

“I’ve known Richard and Richard for a long time… the business they are building at Founded speaks for itself. I know that they will continue to flourish as part of the iris network and equally, as part of our extended Cheil ‘Network Built For Now’ idea.”

Conceived in London by Richard Mabbott and Richard Perry in 2012, Founded excels in creative solutions for brands with a commercial agenda.  A collection of 50 ‘business minds, strategists, creatives and technologists’, Founded currently works with brands including P&O Cruises, Uniqlo, HSS Hire Plc., SAP, Financial Times, Moneycorp, WSAtkins, WePay, Capita Plc., and Zipcar.

Richard Perry, Partner at Founded, said: “We have only one priority – to serve our clients with the very best skills and resources we have access to – we’ve now strengthened our ability to do this. We’ve both watched and admired iris for many years and love and respect what they do.  We’re a young and ambitious agency and we know that being part of a great family like iris will help accelerate both our creative and growth ambitions.”

Founded will also work alongside iris’ consulting, CRM, data & insight team iris Concise, and its existing B2B teams in Munich, Chicago and Singapore – from iris’ previous acquisition of Pepper Global in 2014.  Working with Pepper has extended iris's skills in the tech and business automation space, and has been successful in integrating with existing teams within creative, planning and iris Concise. 

The majority stake in Founded will take the iris network’s office count to 15 worldwide, with the addition of San Francisco increasing its foothold in the West Coast.  

iris, over the past 16 years, has grown into a 1,000-strong global organisation, blending content, creativity and commerce seamlessly around client and consumer challenges. 

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