What ACE Media does

ACE Media (legal entity Ace B.V.) is an Amsterdam-headquartered creative agency network founded in 2020, operating through nine wholly-owned subsidiaries including Born05 (digital design), Glasnost International (PR), Fitzgerald International, Blauw Gras, Herc the agency, We Are Off The Record, NewBorn Ventures, and IM Lounge. The company employs over 250 people at its Club ACE headquarters in Amsterdam's Houthavens district and serves enterprise clients including ABN AMRO, KLM, Vodafone, Unilever, Samsung, Puma, Under Armour, Porsche, Rijksmuseum, Schiphol, HAK, Kruidvat, CZ, WE Fashion, and YoungCapital across banking, telecommunications, FMCG, retail, aviation, automotive, sportswear, museum, and government-adjacent sectors. Delivery is organized around three integrated service pillars — Create (brand creativity and design), Accelerate (PR, social, influencers, and paid/earned media), and Innovate (business innovation and digital transformation).

The company has built proprietary AI capabilities through its ACE AI.Studio division, which produces generative AI solutions spanning text, image, video, and audio modalities, including virtual influencers, virtual try-on, AI-powered product placement, and brand-trained content generation. Notable products include Lookgen AI, an AI fashion content tool co-developed with WE Fashion, and Ask Atlas, an AI travel inspiration platform built for KLM. ACE also operates Culture.Lab, a cultural intelligence hub that combines human insights with predictive technology to identify cultural trends and shifts. The technology stack supports AI-powered workflows including prompt engineering, agent training for on-brand content, and pipeline development for automated creative production.

Revenue derives primarily from project-based creative agency services delivered through framework agreements and assignments with enterprise clients, with media placements passed through at cost plus agency fee. Pricing is negotiated per engagement, with rates adjusted annually and invoices due within 30 days. The company also generates revenue through Club ACE venue rentals for events and, increasingly, through AI products such as Lookgen AI with subscription/recurring potential. The go-to-market is sales-led, with direct client engagement and bespoke team configurations per assignment. ACE has won industry recognition including Cannes Lions, Effie, ADCN, Eurobest, European Excellence Awards, and FD Gazellen, and has expanded into EMEA through its lead agency mandate for Under Armour across UK, Spain, and Germany.

Name

ACE Media

Legal name

Ace B.V.

Website

https://ace.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACE Media is an Amsterdam-based creative agency network (founded 2020) serving enterprise clients across EMEA with integrated brand creativity, marketing acceleration, and AI-powered innovation services through three pillars — Create, Accelerate, and Innovate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Agency Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Media Representatives (541840)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA), Creator Partnerships & Sponsorship Sales (Brand Partnerships) (MPAAAHAK), Creator Talent Management & Representation (MPAAAHAB)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Brand marketing campaigns
• AI content creation
• Public relations services
• Cultural intelligence insights

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam, North Holland

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: ACE generates revenue through project-based creative and marketing services. The agency provides bespoke teams for every creative or business challenge, with services including brand strategy, campaign creation, digital experiences, social media, PR, and AI-powered solutions. Work is delivered through Assignments and Framework Agreements with clients.
2. AI Products (LookGen AI): Revenue from AI-powered products like LookGen AI, an AI tool for fashion content creation launched with WE Fashion.
3. Event Venue Rental (Club ACE): Club ACE serves as an event venue offering spaces for hire including meeting rooms, B2B days, seated sessions, celebrations, and launches. Revenue generated through venue rental fees and catering services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACE Media is a creative agency network offering integrated brand creativity (Create), marketing acceleration (Accelerate), and business innovation (Innovate) services to enterprise brand clients. The agency delivers bespoke project teams for advertising, brand strategy, PR, social media, influencer marketing, and AI-powered content creation. It also operates the Club ACE event venue in Amsterdam and the Lookgen AI fashion content tool developed with WE Fashion.

Product overview

ACE Media operates as a modern network of creative and technical agencies offering an integrated platform across three service pillars: Create (brand creativity), Accelerate (marketing), and Innovate (business innovation). The platform includes specialized sub-brands and products: ACE AI.Studio (artificial intelligence solutions, custom content, AI agents), ACE Culture.Lab (cultural intelligence hub), Lookgen AI (fashion content creation tool with WE Fashion), Club ACE (event venue), ACE PR, ACE Social, and Born05 (strategic digital design agency). Founded in 2020 and operating from Amsterdam with over 250 team members, the integrated offering combines expertise in creation, acceleration, and innovation to help brands stay connected with contemporary culture and remain at the forefront.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lookgen AI: AI-powered tool for fashion content creation, launched in partnership with WE Fashion.
• ACE Ai.Studio
• ACE Culture.Lab
• Club ACE

Products and services

• ACE Create ACE's brand creativity division specializing in insight-based and culturally relevant brand creativity. Offers services including insights, strategy, creativity, and design to help brands build authentic relationships with fragmented audiences.
• ACE Accelerate ACE's marketing acceleration division that aligns PR, social media, influencers, performance and paid media into seamless systems. Creates earned-first campaigns to help brands grow preference and achieve results greater than the sum of their parts.
• ACE Innovate ACE's business innovation division that empowers brands to adapt and achieve more through the combination of cultural insights and advanced technology. Offers value proposition design, brand-driven R&D, digital design, and technology services.
• ACE AI.Studio ACE's artificial intelligence division that delivers bespoke AI solutions, custom content, AI agents and digital products. Combines AI specialists with creative talent to produce cutting-edge AI-driven experiences including the AI Strategy Playbook and AI-powered content generation.
• ACE Culture.Lab ACE's cutting-edge cultural intelligence hub designed to navigate the convergence of culture, technology, and creativity. Uses methodology combining human insights with predictive technology to identify cultural trends and shifts, helping brands stay ahead in fast-evolving communication landscapes.
• Lookgen AI AI-powered fashion content creation tool developed in partnership with WE Fashion. Enables instant product placement in realistic, eye-catching visuals and engaging videos tailored to specific audiences.
• Club ACE ACE's event venue and creative hub in Amsterdam offering spaces for hire including meeting rooms, B2B events, seated sessions, celebrations, and launches. Also provides catering services and serves as a production partner for physical and digital experiences.
• ACE PR ACE's public relations service operating as Amsterdam's creative PR agency. Builds trust and amplifies brands through earned media, thought leadership, and reputation management. Part of the GlobalCom PR Network with international reach.
• ACE Social ACE's social media marketing service that helps brands win on social through authenticity, entertainment, cultural relevance, and algorithmic understanding. Offers social & influencer strategy, content creation, creative campaigns, community management, TikTok content, and influencer marketing.
• Born05 Part of ACE, Born05 is a strategic digital design agency delivering exceptional digital design and brand experiences. Specializes in brand development, customer engagement, and creative consultancy with services including brand identities and digital experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kruidvat Hygiene Poverty campaign: Brand association rose from 30% to 57% (goal 40%), awareness from 48% to 65% (goal 58%)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GlobalCom PR Network (GCPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational PR network partnership providing ACE with global reach while maintaining local cultural intelligence. Specializes in Healthtech, Fintech, Greentech, Cleantech and Spacetech sectors. Enables ACE to offer international PR services with local relevance.
• Sonah Fine FoodsminorOthersExternal catering partner for Club ACE events, providing fine food services alongside in-house catering capabilities.
• A Culinary AffairminorOthersCatering partner for Club ACE events providing culinary services for events and celebrations.
• ArtventuraminorOthersCatering partner for Club ACE events delivering creative and stylish food presentations.
• WeFilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for Kruidvat 'Pure Luxury' film as part of hygiene poverty campaign, collaborating with DDB on creative execution.
• DDBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvertising agency partner for Kruidvat campaign 'Pure Luxury' film production.
• Stichting ArmoedefondsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable foundation partnered with Kruidvat since 2023 to address hygiene poverty in Netherlands through '1+1+1' promotions.
• Fitzgerald InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of ACE network, Fitzgerald International contributed to National Geographic Summit Overcoming Extremes event including theme development, content, and production.
• GlasnostcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE network agency involved in Porsche Discovered digital magazine project, contributing to brand publishing platform.
• AirborneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudio production partner for Porsche Discovered podcast and audio content.
• IPSOSminorOthersResearch partner for Kruidvat Hygiene Poverty Report, conducting quantitative research on hygiene poverty in Netherlands.
• I&O ResearchminorOthersResearch partner for Kruidvat Hygiene Poverty Report alongside IPSOS.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anomaly: Mid-sized independent creative agency with European and US presence, focused on integrated brand work for enterprise clients. Comparable in structure (independent, multi-discipline) and target client profile to ACE.
• 72andSunny: Independent creative agency with strong cultural-marketing positioning and Amsterdam presence. Closely comparable to ACE on the cultural-relevance / brand-modernization proposition for enterprise clients.
• KesselsKramer: Dutch independent creative agency known for culturally distinctive campaigns and brand work. Closely comparable to ACE on creative style, Dutch-market orientation, and brand-modernization client base.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Independent creative agency network with strong brand-creativity credentials and European presence (Amsterdam, London). Competes with ACE for the same kind of culturally-led, brand-refresh mandates from enterprise clients.
• Dept Agency: Amsterdam-headquartered digital creative and technology agency of comparable scale (~4,000+ people globally) with similar integrated digital, creative, and technology offerings. Most direct mid-sized European competitor to ACE's network model.

Emerging players

• Studio Dumbar: Rotterdam-based independent design and brand agency. Comparable on creative craft and Dutch-market enterprise client base, though smaller scale and more design-focused than ACE's full-service offering.

Broad incumbents

• Publicis Amsterdam: Amsterdam office of Publicis Groupe. Competes for the same Dutch enterprise creative accounts but backed by a global holding company's media, data, and production capabilities.
• DDB Amsterdam (Omnicom): Amsterdam office of global DDB network (Omnicom). Competes with ACE for the same Dutch and EMEA enterprise creative briefs, but operates as part of a much larger global holding-company infrastructure.
• TBWA\Hakuhodo (Netherlands): Netherlands office of TBWA global creative network (Omnicom). Direct competitor for creative talent and pitches — ACE has hired multiple senior creatives from TBWA, signaling it as a primary talent and pitch competitor.
• Havas Amsterdam: Amsterdam presence of Havas Creative Network. Competes for Dutch and EMEA enterprise creative briefs within a global holding-company structure. Notable because one of ACE's recent hires (Merel van Lith) came from Havas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intent/post?text=https://ace.nl/en/featured/creative-team-jasper-diks-and-billy-witbraad-make-move-to-ace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ace-media-nl
• Instagraminstagram.com/ace_clubace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries9 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 ACE Media