For decades, the “dirty little secret” of the advertising and consulting world was hidden in plain sight: Even the biggest firms in the world couldn’t actually do it all alone. Behind the scenes, agencies have long relied on a frantic, ad-hoc web of sub-contractors and partner firms to deliver the full-service results that clients demand.
Today, Miami-based startup Collective OS is bringing that secret into the light and onto a dedicated platform. The company is announcing its public launch today, alongside $2.5 million in funding led by Early Light Capital, Team Ignite Ventures, and The Band.
Founded by CEO Jason Flack and Chief Growth Officer Freddie Laker, Collective OS is designed as a partnership operating system for the services industry. The platform uses AI to match specialized agencies – such as a boutique creative shop, a niche PR firm, for example – enabling them to team up and pitch for larger, “full-service” contracts they couldn’t win solo.
The inspiration for the company came from Flack’s own transition from the startup world to independent consulting. “I noticed this network that exists within the consulting industry where people were tapping partners to fulfill work for their clients,” Flack [pictured above] said in an interview with Refresh Miami. When he met Laker, a 20+-year veteran of the agency world, “he opened my eyes to the fact that this happens not only with small independent contractors and freelancers, but all the way up to the largest holding companies like Publicis and WPP.”
To bridge that gap, “Collective OS replaces ad-hoc networking with a data-driven system that helps firms identify the right partners, activate opportunities, and generate predictable revenue. We are turning trust into a scalable asset,” said Laker, who founded Chameleon Collective.
Before joining the platform, organizations must apply and undergo a vetting process. Once accepted, members can build profiles and define partnership goals, enabling the algorithm to match them with collaborators that can help them deliver greater value to clients. From there, organizations can connect, share opportunities, co-develop proposals, manage contracts, and process payments, all on the platform.
During a two-year public beta, the platform quietly grew to serving nearly 1,000 agencies across the globe. Last year, revenue increased 500% and monthly active users surged by over 2,000%, Flack said, and more than $5 million in shared revenue opportunities have already flowed through the system.
According to Flack, the platform is not only helping companies grow revenue without growing headcount but it is also solving a critical pain point in a market currently being reshaped by corporate layoffs. As large holding companies consolidate, thousands of highly specialized “micro-agencies” are being born. These smaller firms are agile, but they often lack the breadth of services required by major brands.
The $2.5 million in fresh funding announced today is earmarked for product and engineering, as the company seeks to transition from an “AI-enabled” tool to a truly “AI-native” platform.
What’s next? The team – currently 12 members spread across the US, UK, Japan and Sri Lanka – is building conversational AI designed to live in users’ inboxes. The goal is to move beyond simple matchmaking between agencies and begin bringing the clients themselves into the ecosystem.
“We’re really enablers today, we enable service providers to find other service providers who are complementary. Where we’re going is we’re also enabling brands to find their service providers that will help them get to the next level in whatever they’re trying to do,” Flack explained.
Flack and his wife moved to the city during the pandemic, and he views the local ecosystem as more than just a temporary trend.
“I’m long Miami,” he said. “There’s no better place to build a company from a lifestyle perspective right now. I think over the next five years we’re going to see a lot of companies pop out that are truly Miami-native, and that’s my goal for Collective OS.”
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