Brainlabs has acquired Los Angeles-based agency Exverus Media, giving the global performance media shop a West Coast foothold and expanding its media buying capabilities across the funnel. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The addition of Exverus, which manages more than $100 million in client media spend, grows Brainlabs’ U.S. billings to $1 billion while expanding its headcount to 500 people in the U.S. and more than 1,060 globally.
Daniel Gilbert, CEO and founder of Brainlabs, said the deal completes the London-headquartered agency’s “transformation into a full-service AOR across all media channels” while significantly expanding its foothold in the U.S.
“For mid-to-large domestic brands, we have a proposition that is substantially superior to the holding companies,” he said.
Gilbert described the deal as “the inverse of how the hold cos would think about acquisition,” contrasting it with cost-cutting motives reshaping large agencies. He said Brainlabs has “mechanics in place” to keep staff on board.
For the next year, Exverus will operate as a “relatively independent” unit, Gilbert said, while encouraging opportunities to take shared briefs. Exverus’ co-founders—Bill Durrant, Talia Arnold, and Jack Win—will remain in their current roles, continuing to lead the team from Los Angeles.
A Modern Media Agency
Brainlabs met with more than 20 agencies before selecting Exverus, which Gilbert described as having “a brand-new set of tools and a modern approach to full-funnel media.”
“We didn’t want to get into a business that was buying and selling remnant inventory,” he added.
Brainlabs is targeting 20% global revenue growth this year and is currently hiring across several media roles. No additional North America acquisitions are planned in the near term.
Backed by private equity firm Falfurrias Capital, Brainlabs has acquired a handful of agencies in the past few years, including performance marketing agency Hanapin, SEO agency Distilled, data company Nabler, and influencer marketing firm Fanbytes. Its most recent international acquisition took place in January when it bought Sparro, Australia’s largest independent digital media agency, and creative shop Jack Nimble.
Gilbert said the Exverus deal reflects growing client demand for single-agency solutions that offer integrated strategy, execution, and transparency across the full media funnel.
“Clients want one consolidated view of how their marketing is doing,” he said. “They don’t want the data or the reporting from their digital agency and the reporting from their above-the-line agency. They just want one.”
While the media agency space is undergoing consolidation and layoffs, Gilbert sees the Exverus deal—and Brainlabs’ growth—as a bright spot in the sector.
“There’s tons of negativity every day,” he said. “The advertising industry isn’t shrinking—it’s just finding its new homes in independents.”