SAMY Alliance enters the Nordic market with the acquisition of Kurio, a social media agency

LONDON, UK. March 5th, 2024 - SAMY Alliance, an integrated, social-first technology and data-enabled digital marketing company, begins a new chapter on its tenth anniversary with the acquisition of Kurio, a social-first creative agency, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.

Since being founded in 2013 SAMY Alliance has experienced sustained growth year-on-year, consolidating its position as a leading global player in its sector. The company is currently present in Europe, the United Kingdom and the Americas.

Kurio, founded in 2012 by Jari Lähdevuori and Elli Tuominen, and since 2015 under the leadership of Tommi Opas as CEO, is a social-first creative agency that delivers results that move people with insight and creativity. Firm believers that social media has changed the way marketing works for good, Kurio has helped AAA brands such as Microsoft, Unilever, Accenture, Fazer, or Nokia build bridges between traditional and social media. 

Kurio is ranked the 8th most creative agency in the world in the Global Creative Index 2023 by PRovoke Media. Their client work has been recognized with the most acclaimed industry awards, including the D&AD, the WARC Awards for Effectiveness at Cannes Lions, the Clio Awards, the Effie Awards, and the New York Festivals Advertising Awards. Highly regarded thought leader in the industry and research collaborations, including with Cannes Lions, and for their influential whitepapers, keynote speeches, and jury participation in prestigious awards like Dubai Lynx, Eurobest, The New York Festivals, SABRE Awards, and Effie Awards.

Tommi Opas, CEO at Kurio states: “Our goals align perfectly with SAMY’s in both ambition and direction. We share a common desire to serve our clients both locally and globally as a leading ‘social-first’ agency, leveraging data and technology to enhance our offering. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we are excited about the possibilities it opens up for us and our existing and new clients in the Nordics and globally.”

With this operation, Samy Alliance continues its international expansion that started in 2019 with the acquisition of the British company SHARE Creative—a specialized agency in intelligence and creativity with over 50 employees. Additionally, Samy Alliance acquired AnyGivenDay and Nobox, creative agencies specialized in social media based in Miami. These acquisitions brought a portfolio of highly relevant clients, including Netflix, Reebok, Microsoft, Diageo, and The North Face, among others.

Listed by the Financial Times as one of the 1000 fastest growing companies in Europe for the fourth consecutive year, Samy Alliance, headquartered in Madrid, operates in more than 50 markets with offices in 14 countries and more than 400 employees. The company develops complete digital strategies for brands: research and market intelligence, data and analytics, social media, digital content, creative, influencer marketing, communications, and public relations.

In a pivotal year following Bridgepoint's entry into the company's shareholding alongside Aurica Capital, the acquisition of Kurio represents a firm commitment to consolidate its position as a global strategic marketing and business partner for leading brands.

In the words of Patricia Ratia, co-founder at SAMY Alliance “the arrival of Kurio allows us to make a great statement in the Nordics, a market with huge potential that has the highest rate of social media adoption in the world reaching 81,7% of the total population. Furthermore, we are excited about the idea of having a HUB in Helsinki, a vibrant city with a strong edge in design and innovation. This HUB will undoubtedly function as an experimentation lab for the Samy Alliance, enabling us to export innovation to other markets. We are also excited with the know-how and capabilities that the Kurio team brings to our Alliance in terms of Social, and are fully confident that it will translate in a stronger offering and a better service to our clients.”

The founders and the international management team will continue to lead this new growth phase, now hand in hand with Kurio, with the objective of attaining over €100 million in revenues in the coming months.