Born Digital joins Friends of Cartel and becomes the group’s digital engine

With the addition of Born Digital, Friends of Cartel is building further on its existing technological expertise: UX/UI, digital product design, development, design systems, web platforms, applications and AI-driven solutions have long been part of the offering and will now be woven even more tightly into strategy and creativity across the collective.

Tom Van den Bergh, CEO Friends of Cartel: ‘Technology runs through everything we do. With Born Digital, we’re bringing strategy, creativity and technology even closer together. This is the logical next step in our ambition to build a collective that’s ready for the future: human, creative and technologically strong.’

In recent years, Born Digital noticed that the growth in projects and expectations required broader shoulders. Founders Jonas Verheijden & Maarten Cox: ‘Digital products are becoming more complex: more integration, more technology. To stay strong, you need scale and multidisciplinarity. Within Friends of Cartel, we keep our DNA – design, user experience and technical depth – but we can also work alongside strategists, creatives and makers. That’s exactly the context we need to help our people and our products grow further.’

The move fits within Glowi’s explicit choice for technology and innovation across its portfolio of companies. Jo Mellemans & Elly Huysmans, founders and co-CEOs of Glowi: ‘Technology and AI now determine the speed of creativity and entrepreneurship. We want to look ahead, invest in talent and innovation, and make sure our groups help set the direction. The integration of Born Digital is a deliberate choice for digital excellence and an acceleration in technology-driven communication.’

Born Digital was founded in 2017 and currently works for clients such as NATO, Trademart, INNI Group and Corda Arena. The agency will remain anchored at Corda Campus and forms an integrated digital studio of 14 specialists, together with the existing tech team. With the arrival of Born Digital, Friends of Cartel now counts six expert agencies, with 110 employees and a turnover of 25 million euros.