What Merge does

MERGE is a Chicago-based marketing and technology agency founded in 1992 that serves enterprise clients across seven verticals: pharma and medtech, health insurance, health providers, financial services, retail, food, and connected living/tech. The company operates a B2B professional services model with direct enterprise field sales, generating revenue through long-term agency-of-record engagements, project-based work, and retainer arrangements with marquee clients such as Abbott (34-year partnership), T-Mobile (26 years), American Express (20 years), Kraft Heinz, Kroger, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Baptist Health, and Kite Pharma. MERGE is privately held under private equity sponsor Keystone Capital Management and employs 501-1,000 staff across eight U.S. offices.

The company's technology and service portfolio is organized around seven solution areas (Creative, Experience, Media, Performance Marketing, Platforms, Public Relations, and Strategy) and anchored by the Humanity Suite, an AI-powered operating model launched in April 2026 that comprises three foundation offerings (MarTech Contextual Platform, Adaptive Creative System, Predictive Decision Engine) and three impact offerings (Strategic Growth Accelerator, Whole Human Experience Orchestrator, Applied AI Blueprint). Platform capabilities are built on Gold Adobe Solutions Partner status (90+ certifications across Marketo, Workfront, and AEM) and core partnerships with Sitecore, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Google, and Optimizely. MERGE has also built a regulated-vertical specialization covering HIPAA-compliant healthcare marketing, FDA promotional rules for pharma, and financial-services compliance requirements.

MERGE has executed an active roll-up strategy under Keystone Capital, completing six acquisitions since 2019 (Beam, Sandbox Agency, Perkuto, Blue Moon Digital, Zee Jay Digital, and Blazer) to add performance marketing, data science, marketing technology implementation, and strategic consulting capabilities. In 2025 the company was named Agency of the Year by Modern Healthcare and Ad Age, and in 2026 it expanded its geographic footprint beyond the U.S. via a strategic partnership with DeFi Technologies/Valour to host the Insights Symposium in São Paulo, with a planned extension to Madrid.

Name

Merge

Legal name

MERGE

Website

http://www.mergeworld.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MERGE is a Chicago-based, PE-backed (Keystone Capital) marketing and technology agency serving enterprise clients across pharma, health insurance, health providers, financial services, retail, food, and connected living, anchored by the AI-powered Humanity Suite operating model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing and Technology Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Advertising (Brand + Performance + Media) (BPAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies (MPAAAAAC), Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO), Digital Workplace & Collaboration Integration (BPAEAAAM), Data Storytelling & Collaborative Analytics (HDAEAMAJ)

Keywords

• Marketing technology services
• Creative agency services
• Healthcare marketing agency
• Experience design services
• Performance marketing agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketing and Technology Services: Professional services revenue from integrated marketing engagements including creative, media, experience design, strategy, and platform implementation. Works on project-based, retainer, and ongoing agency relationship models with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Merge is a B2B marketing and technology agency that helps enterprise brands navigate complex consumer journeys and unlock growth through data-driven storytelling, AI-powered personalization, and bold creativity. The firm delivers integrated marketing engagements spanning creative, experience design, media planning, performance marketing, platforms/technology implementation, public relations, and strategy. Its flagship product, Humanity Suite, is an AI-powered operating model combining human creativity with artificial intelligence for whole-human marketing at the intersection of health, wellness, and technology.

Product overview

MERGE is a marketing and technology agency offering a portfolio of services organized around seven solution areas: Creative (Content Creation and Storytelling), Experience (Experience Strategy and Design), Media (Media Planning), Performance Marketing (Omnichannel Orchestration), Platforms, Public Relations, and Strategy. The company's flagship offering is Humanity Suite, an AI-powered operating model launched in April 2026 comprising six integrated offerings: three foundation offerings (MarTech Contextual Platform, Adaptive Creative System, Predictive Decision Engine) that establish essential data pipelines and creative systems, and three impact offerings (Strategic Growth Accelerator, Whole Human Experience Orchestrator, Applied AI Blueprint) that drive strategic execution. The AIgency concept underpins MERGE's positioning as an AI-native operating model integrating strategy, creativity, and technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The AIgency: MERGE's AI-native operating model that combines human creativity with AI technology for marketing transformation
• Humanity Suite

Products and services

• Humanity Suite AI-powered operating model comprising six integrated offerings that balance AI-driven automation with human-centered marketing for brands at the intersection of health, wellness, and technology. Designed for enterprise clients needing compliant, personalized experiences at scale.
• Content Creation and Storytelling Creative service offering encompassing branding and design, campaign platforms, story and content, and creative production (film, audio, live media) that makes brands unmistakable through storytelling. Targets enterprise clients across regulated and consumer industries.
• Experience Strategy and Design Service offering covering customer acquisition, personalized CX and journey orchestration, omnichannel experience design, and brand relevance across digital platforms, AI-powered journeys, live events, and branded environments.
• Media Planning Service offering including planning and buying, paid media, earned and owned media, and media analytics leveraging market and audience research to deliver messaging effectively for enterprise clients.
• Omnichannel Orchestration Performance marketing service driving traffic and transactions through omnichannel campaign orchestration, paid media, earned/owned channels, measurement/modeling, and creative for enterprise clients.
• Platforms Service offering connecting digital ecosystems through content supply chain, custom development, content management systems (Sitecore, Adobe AEM, Salesforce), and Martech consulting for enterprise clients.
• Public Relations Service offering including reputation management, strategic positioning, brand promotion, and media relations to build trust and credibility in the public sphere for enterprise clients.
• Strategy and Development Strategy service offering for business transformation and growth acceleration, helping enterprise clients navigate complex consumer journeys and unlock growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves $4 million annually and 28,000 hours per year through DAM implementation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• GooglesupportingTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2026Technology platform partner supporting Humanity Suite launch, contributing to AI-powered marketing solutions.
• OptimizelysupportingTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2026Technology platform partner for Humanity Suite, supporting experimentation and optimization capabilities.
• Baptist HealthsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2026Client reference in Humanity Suite announcement, long-term digital experience platform partner since 2008.
• Land O' FrostsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2026Client reference in Humanity Suite announcement, challenger brand positioning partnership with documented results.
• DeFi TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Strategic partnership to host DeFi Technologies Insights Symposium in São Paulo on March 16, 2026, as part of Latin America's largest crypto/fintech conference series. Expected to draw over 5,000 attendees. Plans to extend partnership to MERGE Madrid in October 2026.
• ValourminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Subsidiary of DeFi Technologies, partnered to host Insights Symposium in São Paulo and expand into Latin America, building on Valour's December 2025 listing of digital asset products on Brazilian exchange B3.
• AdobecoreTechnology or IntegrationGold Adobe Solutions Partner with 90+ certifications. Partnership encompasses Marketo, Workfront, and AEM expertise for creating meaningful experiences that scale. Delivered 18M emails deployed for single enterprise client resulting in 3,200 MQLs and 60+ opportunities.
• SitecorecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for seamless, data-driven experiences powered by Sitecore XP (Full DXP), Sitecore XM + Composable DXP (SaaS-based DXP solution), Content Hub, and Experience Commerce (XC). Responsible for 112M annual Sitecore page views on websites built by MERGE.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership focused on Salesforce Marketing Cloud for omni-channel strategy aligning with brand, target audience, and CRM objectives for data-driven revenue growth.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture Song: Global experience and marketing services arm of Accenture, integrating creative, technology, and consulting at enterprise scale. Increasingly competing with MERGE for large platform implementation, CRM transformation, and customer experience mandates, particularly in healthcare and financial services.
• Deloitte Digital: Digital agency arm of Deloitte combining creative, technology, and strategy consulting. Competes with MERGE for large-scale Adobe/Salesforce implementations and CRM transformations for regulated industries, with deeper consulting bench but typically higher cost structure.
• Publicis Health: Healthcare marketing network within Publicis Groupe serving pharma, biotech, and health systems at global scale. Competes with MERGE for pharma AOR engagements but offers a broader portfolio (medical communications, clinical trial recruitment, market access) that MERGE does not cover.

Direct peers

• Digitas: Publicis-owned connected marketing agency with comparable offerings across creative, experience, media, performance, and platforms. Comparable in enterprise client mix, integrated service model, and emphasis on data-driven storytelling and CRM-led engagement.
• VSA Partners: Chicago-based brand strategy and experience design agency with similar mid-size positioning and enterprise client base. Comparable in integrated strategy-creative-technology approach and focus on regulated industries including healthcare and financial services.
• Bounteous: Digital experience agency partnering with Adobe, Salesforce, and Sitecore to deliver strategy, design, and platform implementations. Direct peer to MERGE's Platforms practice and Adobe Gold partnership depth, serving similar enterprise clients in healthcare, retail, and financial services.
• Huge: Integrated digital experience agency delivering strategy, creative, marketing technology, and data services to enterprise clients. Directly comparable to MERGE's Humanity Suite positioning — combining AI-enabled personalization with experience design across healthcare, financial services, and consumer.
• R/GA: Global digital agency integrating strategy, design, and technology for enterprise clients. Closely comparable to MERGE in combining creative, experience design, MarTech implementation, and emerging tech capabilities for Fortune 500 brands across regulated and consumer verticals.
• Cramer: Mid-size integrated brand experience agency combining creative, content production, and event/experiential capabilities. Comparable in size and integrated model, with similar enterprise client focus and growing emphasis on healthcare and technology verticals.
• McCann Health: Global healthcare-focused marketing agency within IPG. Most direct vertical peer to MERGE's pharma/MedTech and health insurance practices, with comparable compliance expertise and HCP/patient engagement capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mergeworld
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wearemergeworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mergeworld
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearemerge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A7 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merge