Actual Agency

What Actual Agency does

Actual Agency is a B2B technology public relations agency founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, operating as a subsidiary of Millwright Holdings, a diversified agency holding company. The firm targets technology and financial services companies ranging from Series A disruptors to enterprise leaders, offering specialized communications services organized around four vertical practices: B2B Tech, AI, Fintech, and B2B SaaS. With approximately 15 full-time team members distributed across 11 US cities (New York, San Francisco, Portland, Washington DC, Boston, and others), the agency extends its reach internationally through partner agencies in London, Paris, and Southeast Asia.

The service portfolio centers on three packages — Story Design (project-based for pre-launch, rebrands, or repositioning), Launch Sprint (project-based for launches, funding news, M&A, or new market entries), and News Engine (monthly retainer for sustained earned, owned, social, and influencer coverage) — supported by capabilities in data-driven storytelling, press material development, proactive media relations, reactive news bureau, influencer activations, crisis communications, media training, monitoring/reporting, partnerships/events, a Content Studio, and a Digital Marketing practice. Delivery is built on an AI-enhanced PR/Comms tech stack combining human creativity with AI-assisted tools for campaign planning, optimization, and execution, with proprietary positioning rather than proprietary models. The agency's business model is professional services fee-based (project fees plus monthly retainers), with senior practitioners directly engaged on client work as a deliberate anti-agency differentiator.

Actual Agency generates revenue through a mix of project-based fees and recurring monthly retainers, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Documented enterprise clients include BMO, BMO Harris Bank, Bitfarms, Privacera, Kantata, Celestica, Cohesity, CrossRiver, Fundbox, and Heyday, with reported outcomes including double- and triple-digit percentage increases in share of voice, hundreds of millions of media impressions, and material lead-generation impact. The firm has no disclosed external funding, is privately held under Millwright Holdings, and operates with a relatively flat leadership structure under CEO & Founder Michael Young and President Erin Vadala.

Name

Actual Agency

Legal name

Actual Agency LLC

Website

https://actual.agency

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Actual Agency is a B2B tech public relations agency serving technology and financial services companies, from Series A disruptors to enterprise leaders, through project-based and retainer communications services with vertical specialization in AI, Fintech, B2B SaaS, and enterprise tech.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Technology Public Relations

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (MPAAADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI), B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA), B2B / Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategy Consulting (MPAAAFAM), B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)

Keywords

• B2b tech pr
• Technology public relations
• Integrated communications agency
• Fintech pr services
• Ai pr services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Story Design Services: Project-based fee service for pre-launch, rebrands, repositioning, or new C-suite initiatives. Delivers message and story clarity for media, investors, analysts, and team with storylines that are memorable, defensible and quotable.
2. Launch Sprint Services: Project-based fee service for product launches, funding news, M&A or new market entries. Delivers high value visibility where and when it counts, providing competitive momentum advantage and increased share of voice.
3. News Engine Retainer: Monthly retainer service for building dominance across earned, owned, social and influencer channels. Delivers consistent presence across stakeholder touchpoints and media channels with sustained third-party validation and credibility built over time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Actual Agency is a B2B technology public relations and integrated communications agency that sells three core service packages — Story Design (project-based narrative and message clarity for pre-launches and rebrands), Launch Sprint (project-based high-visibility campaigns for product launches, funding news, and M&A), and News Engine (monthly retainer for sustained earned, owned, social, and influencer coverage). Vertical specialty practices in AI, Fintech, and B2B SaaS PR, alongside Content Studio and Digital Marketing services, round out the portfolio for technology clients from Series A through enterprise scale.

Product overview

Actual Agency is a B2B Tech PR agency offering a portfolio of specialized communications services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include three main service packages: Story Design (project-based for pre-launch/rebrands), Launch Sprint (project-based for launches/funding), and News Engine (monthly retainer for sustained presence). These are supported by specialized PR services spanning Public Relations, Content Studio (thought leadership, op-eds, white papers, case studies, blog posts), and Digital Marketing (social media, PPC/SEM, SEO, video production, analytics). The agency also offers targeted vertical specializations in AI PR, B2B Tech PR, Fintech PR, and B2B SaaS PR. The agency integrates AI-enhanced tools and GenAI as a force multiplier across its service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Story Design Project-based service for pre-launches, rebrands, repositioning, or new C-suite situations that delivers message and story clarity for media, investors, analysts, and team, producing storylines that are memorable, defensible, and quotable.
• Launch Sprint Project-based service for product launches, funding news, M&A, or new market entries that delivers high-value visibility where and when it counts, providing competitive momentum advantage and increased share of voice.
• News Engine Monthly retainer service for building dominance across earned, owned, social, and influencer channels, delivering consistent presence across stakeholder touchpoints and media channels with sustained third-party validation and credibility.
• Public Relations Core B2B Tech PR service focused on reducing buyer decision risk through third-party validation from media, analysts, experts, and customers for company vision, strategy, and product innovation.
• Content Studio Integrated content strategy service covering blogs, case studies, how-to videos, podcasts, ebooks, whitepapers, and social campaigns that move buyers to action through the buyer journey.
• Digital Marketing Full range of digital marketing services including social media marketing, PPC/SEM, website development, email marketing automation, reputation management, SEO, video production, advanced analytics, and creative design.
• AI PR Services Strategic AI PR service positioning AI as a business enabler, showing leadership on ethics and governance, earning trust through transparency, navigating reputational risk, and securing market presence through executive thought leadership, narrative strategy, targeted media engagement, and integrated PR and digital tactics.
• B2B Tech PR Services Strategic B2B tech PR service transforming technology brands into industry leaders through storytelling that captivates and converts, with a focus on reducing buyer decision risk through third-party validation.
• Fintech PR Services Fintech PR covering banking, technology, payments, Bank-as-a-Service, credit, risk, and crypto sectors, helping fintech companies communicate innovation, navigate regulatory compliance, and build trust with investors, customers, regulators, and industry partners.
• B2B SaaS PR Services B2B SaaS PR service transforming company stories into critical business outcomes through unified business messaging and targeted campaigns across advertising, PR, media relations, influencer engagements, digital marketing, and event support aimed at SaaS decision-makers.

Quantifiable outcome

• +140% increase in article frequency for BMO
• +13 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IpsoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal market research and consulting company partnered with Actual Agency for BMO's Real Financial Progress Index (RFPI) quarterly survey. Ipsos conducted research using a set of basic questions to build an index representing people's feelings about financial progress.
• Millwright HoldingscoreOthersParent company of Actual Agency LLC. Actual Agency is described as a Millwright Agency within the Millwright Holdings portfolio of agencies.
• Upside PR (London B2B)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLondon-based B2B PR partner listed as part of Actual Agency's global office network for referrals and co-marketing.
• Bound to Prosper (London)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLondon-based marketing partner listed as part of Actual Agency's global office network for referrals and co-marketing.
• Entourages (Paris B2B)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerParis-based B2B partner agency listed as part of Actual Agency's global office network for referrals and co-marketing.
• Ellipse Communications (Paris B2C)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerParis-based B2C communications partner listed as part of Actual Agency's global office network for referrals and co-marketing.
• PNTR Group (Southeast Asia)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoutheast Asia partner agency listed as part of Actual Agency's global office network for referrals and co-marketing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Walker Sands: Full-service B2B technology marketing and PR agency serving enterprise and growth tech clients, directly overlapping with Actual Agency's core B2B tech PR positioning and integrated services.
• Highwire PR: Tech-focused PR agency serving startups through enterprises in security, AI and enterprise software, mirroring Actual Agency's client base and earned-media focus.
• Bospar: Distributed B2B tech PR agency emphasizing measurable media outcomes and modern tooling, closely comparable to Actual Agency's model and vertical focus.
• Inkhouse: Integrated PR and communications agency serving tech, fintech and enterprise brands, competing directly for the same B2B thought-leadership and media-relations mandates.
• LaunchSquad: Brand and PR agency for technology and consumer tech companies, overlapping with Actual Agency's launch-focused and storytelling services for tech innovators.
• Method Communications: Tech PR agency working with high-growth and enterprise technology firms, comparable in vertical specialization and executive-visibility positioning.
• SourceCode Communications: Modern B2B tech and enterprise communications agency emphasizing narrative and integrated comms, a close analog to Actual Agency's offering.
• March Communications: B2B technology PR agency focused on media relations and thought leadership for enterprise tech, directly comparable to Actual Agency's niche.

Emerging players

• Codeword: Tech-focused creative and content marketing agency that leans into AI-enabled workflows, overlapping with Actual Agency's content and AI-enhanced services.

Broad incumbents

• Racepoint Global: Global integrated marketing and communications firm serving technology brands, offering overlapping PR and digital capabilities at larger scale than Actual Agency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Actual Agency