• by Laurie Sullivan , April 9, 2026

Podean, a large independent global agency focused on helping brands expand internationally across marketplaces, has acquired Amerge, a full-service global Amazon Ads Advanced Partner.

The move signals a major consolidation in the independent agency sector, creating a high-performance alternative to traditional holding companies for brands seeking dominance in the global marketplace.

Combined clients will include Epson, Burt’s Bees, Graco, Steve Madden, Hugo Boss, Nike, Puma and New Balance, among others. 

Podean has become the challenger to major holding companies and networks. This acquisition creates one of the largest independent global marketplaces focused on supporting global growth for agencies and brands. The scale and breadth of services and global reach in commerce make the acquisition significant.

“The European footprint is broad, especially in Germany, which is a difficult market to gain traction,” Travis Johnson, Podean global CEO, who spent time at Dentsu and IPG, told MediaPost. “There are many established agencies in Germany, and for us to add one or two people on the group to gain momentum in one of Amazon’s biggest global markets would take us a long time.”

Podean is not a performance marketing agency looking for dominance across marketplaces or retail media networks, but rather a dedicated global group managing more than half a billion in marketplace and retail media, It generated $4 billion in marketplace sales last year., the company revealed, and now supports more than $500 million in retail media and marketplaces spend.

The acquisition significantly bolsters Podean’s capabilities in Europe and adds critical expertise for non-endemic brands through Amerge’s advanced streaming and analytics technology.

Amerge is Podean's third acquisition in six months, following Commerce Canal in 2025 and Ad Advance in 2026. 

Most global efforts go toward Amazon, but Podean supports brands in 110 marketplaces and 50 retail media networks with deep experience on Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Target, Instacart, Lazada, B&Q, Bol and Mercado Libre.

“We work with a lot of marketplaces, from Brazil to The Netherlands, but it just happens that Amazon is the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge for brands needing support.”

John Doyle, who co-founded Amerge, has been appointed as Podean’s new international CEO.

Mountaingate Capital, Podean's financial partner, previously sponsored Mars United Commerce when it was sold to Publicis, and Tinuiti when it was acquired by New Mountain Capital.