Known
Known is an independent, science-led advertising agency combining media, creative, data science, and its proprietary AI platform Skeptic™ to serve enterprise brands including Disney, JPMorgan Chase, McDonald's, Microsoft, and Moderna across full-service campaigns and licensed software.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Known does
Known is an independent, science-led advertising agency founded in 2020 and headquartered at 5 Bryant Park, New York. The firm operates as a unified full-service agency combining media planning and buying, 360 creative services, research and strategy, and original content production, serving predominantly enterprise brands across entertainment, technology, financial services, healthcare, retail, and food & beverage — including Disney, SAP, JPMorgan Chase, McDonald's, Microsoft, Moderna, HP, and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The company's central technical asset is Skeptic™, a proprietary AI/ML platform built and maintained by an in-house PhD data science team. Skeptic™ performs rapid scientific experimentation and persistent optimization across all media channels, and in 2025 was commercialized as a standalone licensed product whose revenue tripled year-over-year. Adjacent offerings include Known Originals (an originals division producing feature films and documentary series for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Roc Nation, and Universal Music Group) and Media Opportunity Analysis (AI-driven inefficiency mapping that delivered $333 million in client savings/incremental revenue in 2024).
Known monetizes through full-service agency retainers (quote-based, KPI-tied remuneration), Skeptic™ platform licensing (subscription/SaaS-like), and outcomes-based pricing tied to client KPIs. The firm projects 40% net revenue growth in 2025, added 24 new enterprise clients in the year, and has scaled leadership with senior poaches including a Chief Client Officer (ex-McCann Worldgroup), Chief Media Officer (ex-Universal McCann), and Global Executive Creative Director (ex-TikTok/Apple). Industry recognition includes Adweek 2025 Midsize Agency of the Year, three consecutive Ad Age A-List appearances (#3 in 2024, #6 in 2025), and three consecutive Ad Age Data & Insights Agency of the Year awards.
Known firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Known
- Legal name
- Known Global LLC
- Website
- https://known.is
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Known is an independent, science-led advertising agency combining media, creative, data science, and its proprietary AI platform Skeptic™ to serve enterprise brands including Disney, JPMorgan Chase, McDonald's, Microsoft, and Moderna across full-service campaigns and licensed software.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Known industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising and Marketing Agency Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Advertising (Brand + Performance + Media) (BPAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advertising, Marketing & Customer Personalization (HDAAAGAC), Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD), B2B SaaS & Enterprise Personalization (CRM, Sales, Support) (HDAAAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Known is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Known business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Full-Service Agency Fees: Known provides full-service integrated marketing services blending high craft and extraordinary talent. Their transparent, KPI-tied remuneration model proved successful with the agency projecting 40% net revenue growth in 2025.
- Platform Licensing (Skeptic™): Clients license the proprietary Skeptic™ AI platform to enable and empower their internal teams to drive exceptional results. This represents a separate revenue stream as a software/product business.
- AI-Integrated Agency Services: Emerging pricing approaches include proprietary AI product licensing, subscription-based 'talent and machine' packages, and outcomes-based pricing tied to specific KPIs or business results.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Known product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Known is a science-led, independent advertising agency that provides full-service integrated marketing including media planning and buying, 360 creative services, research and strategy, and original content production. The agency's differentiator is its proprietary AI platform Skeptic™, which uses machine learning to deploy rapid experimentation and persistent optimization across all media channels, and is now licensed commercially to clients as a standalone product.
Product overview
Known is a science-led, independent advertising agency that operates as a unified full-service platform combining media planning & buying, 360 creative services (social, production, design), and research & strategy capabilities. The agency's core differentiator is its proprietary AI platform Skeptic™, which uses machine learning and AI for rapid experimentation and persistent optimization across all media channels. This AI platform is both used internally to power client work and licensed commercially to clients as a standalone revenue-generating product. Additional offerings include Known Originals (original programming division producing films and series), Media Opportunity Analysis (AI-powered analytics for finding inefficiencies), and the company's unique transparent KPI-tied remuneration model. The company was founded in 2020 and has grown to serve major global brands including Disney, SAP, WeightWatchers, JPMorgan Chase, and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Known Originals: Original programming division developing and producing feature films and series for brands including Amazon Prime Video, Roc Nation, Universal Music Group, and others.
- Skeptic
Products and services
- Skeptic™
- Media Planning & Buying
- 360 Creative
- Research & Strategy
- Known Originals
- Media Opportunity Analysis (MOA)
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% net revenue growth projected in 2025, software business tripling, media practice more than doubling year-over-year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Known
Customer profileNamed customers32 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Known technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature2 records
Known partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- M&C SaatchiminorExecutives from Known participated in Adspeak by ADWEEK panel alongside M&C Saatchi and Team Epiphany to discuss agency model reinvention.
- Team EpiphanyminorKnown executives participated in panel discussion on agency model reinvention alongside Team Epiphany and M&C Saatchi.
- Lynn LewiscoreLynn Lewis, formerly chief marketing officer at McCann Worldgroup, appointed as Known's first Chief Client Officer to support bigger global briefs.
- McDonald'scoreKnown initiated the 'Meal Ticket' documentary project for McDonald's, telling the story of the All-American Game. The project was produced without direct payment from McDonald's as a brand storytelling initiative.
- Disney AdvertisingcoreKnown and Instinct are among the first collaborators testing Disney's new video generation tool at CES 2026. This represents a strategic partnership for AI-powered advertising innovation.
- DisneycoreKnown works with Disney on large global briefs. Disney is one of the major accounts added in 2025. The partnership involves strategic and creative work across Disney's streaming platforms and brand initiatives.
- SAPcoreSAP is one of the major global brands added as a client in 2025, working with Known on marketing initiatives.
- WeightWatcherscoreWeightWatchers is one of the major accounts added in 2025, indicating a significant partnership for health and wellness marketing.
- JPMorgan ChasecoreMajor financial services account added in 2025, working with Known on brand and marketing initiatives.
- U.S. Olympic CommitteecoreMajor sports organization added as client in 2025, partnering with Known for Olympic-related marketing and brand campaigns.
- Amazon Prime VideocoreKnown Originals produced 'Meal Ticket' documentary greenlit by Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Also worked on Inspiration4 documentary released on Netflix.
- Roc NationcoreKnown Originals partnered with Roc Nation and Creative Control to present the definitive story of the McDonald's All-American Games documentary.
- Universal Music GroupcorePartnership with UMG for 'Deep Dive' documentary series and other original programming giving access to Universal's vast music archive.
- Time StudioscoreThree-picture deal with TIME Studios as part of Known Originals' ambitious original series and films slate.
- Toys"R"UsminorFox Alternative, Known Originals, and Toys R Us prepping new family competition format.
- NetflixcoreProduced 'Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space' documentary series, Netflix's first-ever real-time series chronicling the space mission. Also produced 'jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy'.
- iHeart MediaminorPartnership with iHeart Media to produce the 'Future Legends of Advertising' podcast featuring top marketers from Nike, GM, Netflix, Uber and more.
- TikTokcoreKnown is TikTok's strategic and creative agency, having produced award-winning campaigns like '#ItStartsOnTikTok' and hired former TikTok executive Todd Triplett as first Global Executive Creative Director.
- Coodie & ChikecoreKnown Originals partnered with filmmakers Coodie & Chike (known for jeen-yuhs) on multiple documentary projects including the McDonald's All-American Game film.
- Instinct Pet FoodminorInstinct Pet Food is among the first collaborators testing Disney's new video generation tool alongside Known at CES 2026.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Known competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MediaMonks: MediaMonks (S4 Capital / Monks) is a digital-first, data-driven marketing and production company offering creative, media, and technology services globally. Comparable to Known in its science-led, full-service approach and proprietary technology platforms that differentiate it from traditional agency networks.
- R/GA: R/GA is an independent, technology-led creative agency that combines design, data, and emerging tech to build brand experiences and digital products. Like Known, it operates outside the holding-company system, emphasizes data science and engineering, and serves enterprise clients seeking integrated creative-plus-technology solutions.
- 72andSunny: 72andSunny is an independent creative agency that integrates cultural strategy, brand creative, and media. Comparable to Known as an independent shop recognized on Ad Age and Adweek A-List rankings, serving similarly global enterprise brand portfolios.
- Huge Inc. Huge is an independent experience-driven agency combining strategy, design, marketing, and technology. Like Known, it positions at the intersection of data science, creative, and engineering for enterprise clients and competes for the same digital-transformation RFPs.
- Droga5: Droga5 is an independent, creatively-led agency known for high-craft campaigns for enterprise brands. It overlaps with Known in targeting premium global clients (e.g., Disney, Amazon) and is cited alongside Known on industry A-List rankings.
Broad incumbents
- WPP (GroupM / Ogilvy): WPP is the world's largest advertising holding company, housing agencies like GroupM (media buying), Ogilvy, and VMLY&R that compete directly with Known across media planning/buying and integrated creative services for the same enterprise clients.
- Publicis Groupe (Publicis / Digitas): Publicis operates a broad portfolio of creative, media, and data-driven agencies (Publicis, Digitas, Sapient) competing with Known across integrated services. Its Marcel AI platform represents a holding-company response to independents like Known with proprietary AI.
- Omnicom (OMD / BBDO / Goodby): Omnicom is a global advertising holding company with media (OMD, PHD) and creative (BBDO, Goodby Silverstein) networks that overlap with Known's full-service offering. Competes for the same AOR relationships with the same enterprise clients.
- Stagwell (Assembly / Anomaly): Stagwell is a publicly traded holding company focused on digital transformation, with agencies like Assembly (media) and Anomaly (creative) that compete with Known in data-led, integrated services. Its digitally native portfolio targets the same growth-mandated enterprise clients.
Others
- Adobe Advertising (Adobe Experience Cloud): Adobe Experience Cloud is a leading martech platform with advertising and personalization capabilities that overlap with Skeptic's optimization and experimentation functionality. As Known licenses Skeptic externally, Adobe represents a potential competitor and ecosystem partner for the platform business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Known social profiles
Digital presenceKnown financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Known leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Known funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Known M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Known
What does Known do?
Known is a science-led, independent advertising agency that provides full-service integrated marketing including media planning and buying, 360 creative services, research and strategy, and original content production. The agency's differentiator is its proprietary AI platform Skeptic™, which uses machine learning to deploy rapid experimentation and persistent optimization across all media channels, and is now licensed commercially to clients as a standalone product.
Is Known a public or private company?
Known is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Known founded?
Known was founded in 2020. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Known based?
Known is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Known make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Full-Service Agency Fees are the primary driver. The others are platform Licensing (Skeptic™) and AI-Integrated Agency Services.
Who are Known's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MediaMonks, R/GA, 72andSunny, Huge Inc. and Droga5. Broad incumbents are WPP (GroupM / Ogilvy), Publicis Groupe (Publicis / Digitas), Omnicom (OMD / BBDO / Goodby) and Stagwell (Assembly / Anomaly). Adobe Advertising (Adobe Experience Cloud) is listed as an others.
Does Known have an API?
No public API is recorded for Known.
What industry is Known in?
Known's product category is Advertising and Marketing Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAAAA, Integrated Advertising (Brand + Performance + Media), with a secondary code of HDAAAGAC, Advertising, Marketing & Customer Personalization. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.