Citizens has officially launched - 5 digital agencies are joinging forces

Citizens has officially launched: five leading digital agencies from Belgium and the Netherlands are joining forces to form one digital movement.

Antwerp & Rotterdam, September 30, 2025 – Five of the strongest digital agencies in Belgium and the Netherlands are joining forces and launching Citizens today. These are AGConsult (BE), Faceworks (NL), Online Department (NL), Thinline (BE), and Your Business Online (NL). Together, they have 70 specialists, 1,000 clients, and five offices. 

“We can’t wait to use this achievement as an example of the kind of platform companies that members of Vesper Vanguard can invest in. Citizens shows how you can bring together several specialized businesses into a powerful platform where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is exactly the kind of strategy we believe in: driven founders, strong niche expertise, scalable collaboration without losing identity. For the members of Vesper Vanguard, Citizens is living proof of the potential of platform companies that grow through their own strength and create synergy.”

- Jan De Roeck, co-founder and CEO of Citizens

Five offices, one collective

AGConsult (Boom, BE)
Pioneers in UX and conversion optimization, internationally respected for their no-nonsense and evidence-based approach.

Faceworks (Gouda, NL)
Specializing in complex digital environments and communication tools, they thrive on large and challenging projects.

Online Department (Rotterdam, NL)
Award-winning UX agency (Emerce 100), known for their strategic strength and design research.

Thinline (Ghent, BE)
Strong player in web design, loved for their creative and accessible solutions.

Your Business Online (Breda, NL)
Experts in data, performance marketing én social media.

From vision to reality

Citizens didn't start as a classic consolidation, but as an ambitious idea: a Benelux collective with scale and impact, without losing the soul of the organizations. With a strong board of directors and a search of over 2,000 agencies, a selection of the strongest and most complementary players emerged. Today, Citizens has five agencies, built as a platform for further growth.

While cross-border collaboration often proves difficult, Citizens proves it can be done. In a fragmented landscape of thousands of agencies, the collective brings together the best specialists into a single, integrated player. Citizens helps both SMEs and multinationals adapt faster and more effectively to a rapidly changing digital world.

"More than two years ago, I dreamed of building a leading agency. But I believed that true power lay in collaboration: strong agencies and experienced founders pooling their talents. Today, I'm proud that with Citizens, we've turned that dream into reality."
- Nathan Verduyn, co-founder and initiator of Citizens 

A unique model: growing big by staying small

Citizens consciously chooses a different path than traditional consolidations: no cumbersome structure, no external investors. The culture remains personal, entrepreneurial, hardworking, and down-to-earth. A collective of founders that gives value back to the people who make it. 

"From the beginning, we wanted Faceworks to be an organization where people thrive, clients feel understood, and sustainable relationships are central. For 25 years, we've been tackling challenges and opportunities together. With Citizens, we envision the next chapter: growing and learning through collaboration, with shared goals and maintaining our own identity and culture."
- Bart de Vrind, co-founder of Citizens and founder of Faceworks 

Holding companies grow in size through traditional consolidation, but not in relevance. With Citizens, we believe in the power of talent and collaboration. We combine the advantages of an international group with the passion and drive of specialized teams. We grow by sharing, stay grounded, and use innovation to truly help clients move forward. Human, agile, and impactful.
- Jo Van Snick, co-founder of Citizens and founder of Thinline 

Humanity and innovation 

AI, data, and design are important pillars, but the core remains humanity. Technology isn't an end in itself; it's about better results and experiences, for both customers and their users.

"Together, we can offer clients even stronger, integrated solutions. This is the start of a movement. What makes Citizens unique is our innovative model: a collective of smaller, agile agencies bringing something different to the market. We combine the strength of a group with the speed and culture of specialists, creating real added value for clients."
- Jan De Roeck, co-founder and CEO of Citizens

"At AGConsult, we've been pioneers in UX and conversion optimization for over 20 years. In Citizens, we've found like-minded partners who share the same ambition: to make an impact for clients with top-tier strategy and execution. By joining forces with leading experts from other domains, we're further expanding that impact."
- Els Aerts, co-founder of Citizens and founder of AGConsult

Open invitation

Citizens isn't a closed club, but an open movement. We invite digital agencies from Belgium and the Netherlands who believe in collaboration and innovation, clients seeking integrated solutions, and talent who want to be part of this story. Together, we're building a leading group that will help not only the sector but, more importantly, our clients move forward.

About Citizens

Citizens is a collective of five digital agencies from Belgium and the Netherlands: AGConsult (Boom), Faceworks (Gouda), Online Department (Rotterdam), Thinline (Ghent), and Your Business Online (Breda). From their five offices, Citizens helps more than 1,000 clients with strategy, UX, design, development, data, performance, and social media.