NEXT-DC

What NEXT-DC does

NEXT-DC is an independent creative agency founded in 2010 and headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, with additional offices in London and Amsterdam. The firm delivers an integrated service portfolio spanning Creative Strategy (audience research, campaign development, media/PR implementation), Crafting Technology (experiential activations, immersive experiences, gamification), Design and Production (documentary/video, branded content, motion/3D design), Web Development (UX/UI, front-end, CMS), and Community Building (social causes, activism). Its technology stack combines custom AI/ML systems (multimodal image recognition for Carlsberg, face tracking for Heineken, AI-vs-real classifiers for WWF) with WebGL interactive platforms, AR/360° production, and CMS-driven microsites.

The agency serves a roster of global enterprise brand owners across beverages (Heineken, Jack Daniel's, Carlsberg, Amstel), automotive (BMW, Renault), sportswear (PUMA), imaging/technology (Canon, Wacom, Miro), telecommunications (A1), and nonprofit/NGO (WWF, Visa's Pocket Science). NEXT-DC operates on custom project-based pricing with multi-year contracts, generating revenue through professional creative services delivered via direct enterprise engagement from offices in Sofia, London, and Amsterdam. The agency maintains the proprietary SHAPESHIFT Festival as an annual content platform and operates a Goodies Store for branded merchandise.

NEXT-DC has accumulated 60+ documented industry awards including Bulgaria's first D&AD Pencil (2025), Webby People's Voice, MUSE Platinum, and multiple Effie, Golden Drum, White Square, and IAB MIXX honors, positioning it as the most internationally awarded independent creative agency from Bulgaria.

Name

NEXT-DC

Legal name

Next DC

Website

https://next-dc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NEXT-DC is an independent creative agency founded in 2010 in Sofia, Bulgaria, with offices in London and Amsterdam. It delivers creative strategy, technology, design, and web development services to global enterprise brands including Heineken, Carlsberg, Canon, PUMA, and WWF.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Agency Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Graphic Design Services (541430), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Brand campaign development
• Experiential marketing
• Interactive web development
• Creative technology solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: NEXT-DC generates revenue through creative strategy, technology development, design, and web development services for enterprise clients. Projects include campaigns, experiential activations, documentary production, and digital platform development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NEXT-DC is an independent creative agency that designs and delivers creative campaigns, technology-driven experiences, and digital platforms for international enterprise brands. Its core deliverables span five interconnected service lines: creative strategy, crafting technology (including AI-powered and experiential activations), design and production, web development, and community building, with supplementary offerings including a branded merchandise e-commerce store and the annual SHAPESHIFT Festival event.

Product overview

NEXT-DC is an independent creative agency offering a portfolio of five interconnected service offerings: Creative Strategy (audience research, campaign development, media/PR implementation), Crafting Technology (experiential activations, immersive experiences, gamification), Design and Production (documentary/video production, branded content, graphic/motion/3D design), Web Development (UX/UI, front-end, CMS implementation), and Community Building (social causes, activism, events). The agency also operates an internal e-commerce Goodies Store selling branded merchandise, and produces the annual SHAPESHIFT Festival event. The company has an in-house development team and works with international clients across various industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Strategy Services Strategic consulting services covering audience research, cultural context analysis, trend identification, creative campaign development, and media/PR/influencer implementation, delivered to enterprise brand clients.
• Crafting Technology Services Technology-driven creative services including experiential activations, immersive experiences, mixed reality entertainment, and gamification, leveraging custom AI, AR, and interactive platforms built in-house.
• Design and Production Services Design and production services spanning documentary and film production, branded content, photoshoots, graphic, motion and 3D design, illustration, art direction, and event and spatial design.
• Web Development Services Digital development services including UX/UI design, front-end development, and CMS implementation for websites and web applications, with award-winning interactive microsites using WebGL and progressive web technologies.
• Community Building Services Social impact and community engagement services including events, custom products and activations, social cause support, and activism campaigns for brands, nonprofits, and cultural organizations.
• Goodies Store E-commerce store selling branded merchandise including SHAPESHIFT Festival keychains, T-shirts, socks, NEXT-DC scarves, and QUOTES Mag poster prints.
• SHAPESHIFT Festival Annual event series exploring creativity, science, technology, and innovation through lectures, workshops, and interactive sessions, produced as a proprietary NEXT-DC event property.

Quantifiable outcome

• 127,000 website visitors in Heineken 'The Focus' campaign with 38,000 AI-powered interactions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MirocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEXT-DC has worked with Miro for three consecutive years on the DISTRIBUTED annual event series. They developed set design, keynote design, and animations for Miro Distributed 2021, and continued partnership with Miro Next Conference 2022.
• VisacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on VISA 'Our Money' initiative to make financial literacy part of secondary school curriculum in Bulgaria, creating the Pocket Science educational campaign.
• BMWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative campaigns and brand projects for BMW.
• WacomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership on Wacom for Business digital communication strategy, showcasing how Wacom products improve business and end-user processes.
• CanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership on Canon Creative Park campaigns including Endless Toys (2017), Endless Adventure (2020), and Canon Creative Park initiatives across CEE and European markets.
• A1minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative campaigns and brand activations for A1 telecommunications.
• RenaultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple campaigns including Renault Infinity Room for new CLIO launch (2019) and Megane R.S. launch. Created Bulgaria's first infinity room for automotive presentation.
• HeinekencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive partnership including multiple campaigns: The Focus (AI-powered stare-down with Andrea Pirlo), The Jigsaw, The Signal, The Better Halves, The Phone Call, and Heineken/Amstel experiential activations.
• Jack Daniel'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with campaigns including Holiday Songs (2015), Squat Shop Pop-up Bar/Klek Shot (2023), The Metal Eye Test (2024), and metal festival sponsorship campaigns.
• PUMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for PUMA Bulgaria return in 2023 including social media content creation, Mums Are Real Athletes campaign (2024), and Speedcat urban activation.
• PulmonXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor web platform development project creating 11 sites across 19 domains for Zephyr Valve patient education and international markets.
• WWFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning AI Quiz for Animal Awareness campaign (2024) that won multiple international awards including Webby People's Voice Award.
• IngenicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative campaigns for Ingenico.
• CarlsbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProbably the Most Iconic Kit campaign (2026) - AI-powered Liverpool FC shirt verification system for ticket giveaway to Premier League match.
• IQOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple campaigns including IQOS Metaverse Gallery (2022) with user-generated artwork platform and Art for Air (2022) with air-purifying mural in Varna.
• Studio KomplektminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuratorial collaboration on Finlandia 'Cabinets of Wisdom' exhibition and other cultural projects.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AKQA: Larger WPP-owned digital creative agency offering strategy, design, and technology for global brands. Overlaps with NEXT-DC's Heineken/Cannes-class work but operates at significantly greater scale and network depth.
• Huge: Digital experience design and creative agency serving enterprise brands across web, product, and brand. Comparable in marrying design with technology for large clients, but part of the broader IPG ecosystem.
• Dept: European-headquartered digital agency combining creative, tech, and data for brands like Tesla, Google, and Philips. Comparable service mix and pan-European delivery model.

Direct peers

• Unit9: Creative technology and experience studio producing award-winning interactive sites, AR/VR, and AI-driven campaigns. Direct technical analogue to NEXT-DC's AI recognition, face-tracking, and WebGL microsite work.
• Anomaly: Independently-owned creative agency known for non-traditional campaigns, brand strategy, and content production for global CPG/beverage brands (similar to NEXT-DC's Heineken/Jack Daniel's roster).
• B-Reel: Independent creative-tech studio with offices in Stockholm, LA, and London; known for branded interactive experiences and award-winning digital campaigns. Comparable in size, craft, and creative-tech positioning.
• MediaMonks (Monks / S4 Capital): Global digital creative and production powerhouse; competes for the same enterprise creative-tech engagements (Heineken, BMW-class brands) and was explicitly built by rolling up creative-tech boutiques. Most directly comparable in combining creative strategy, content production, and emerging tech.
• R/GA: Independent digital creative agency known for award-winning experience design, brand work for Nike/Beats/IBM-class clients, and proprietary tech builds. Closely mirrors NEXT-DC's strategy-plus-tech-plus-design model.

Emerging players

• Resn: New Zealand-based creative technology studio specializing in award-winning interactive websites and WebGL experiences; comparable in craft, award pedigree, and creative-tech niche focus.
• North Kingdom: Swedish creative-tech agency producing award-winning interactive experiences for global brands; closest geographic and scale peer to NEXT-DC within the Nordic/CEE boutique segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nextdcagency
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NEXTDCagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/nextdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-dc
• Instagraminstagram.com/nextdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 NEXT-DC