Citizens officially launched: five leading digital agencies from Belgium and the Netherlands unite as one digital movement.
Antwerp & Rotterdam, September 30, 2025 – Five of the strongest digital agencies in Belgium and the Netherlands are joining forces to launch Citizens. The collective includes AGConsult (BE), Faceworks (NL), Online Department (NL), Thinline (BE), and Your Business Online (NL). Together they bring 70 specialists, 1,000 clients, and 5 offices.
AGConsult (Boom, BE)
Pioneers in UX and conversion optimization, internationally respected for their no-nonsense, evidence-based approach.
Faceworks (Gouda, NL)
Experts in complex digital environments and communication tools; they thrive on large and challenging projects.
Online Department (Rotterdam, NL)
Award-winning UX agency (Emerce 100), recognized for their strategic strength and design research.
Thinline (Ghent, BE)
A strong player in web design, loved for their creative and accessible solutions.
Your Business Online (Breda, NL)
Specialists in data, performance marketing, and social media.
Each of these agencies is a leader in its field. Together, we are building the leading digital group in the Benelux, aiming to grow within five years to 20+ agencies and become a European benchmark in digital strategy, UX, development, and performance.
Citizens was never about a traditional consolidation, but about 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 journey across more than 2,000 agencies, the result is a selection of the strongest and most complementary players. Today Citizens unites five agencies, built as a platform for future growth.
Where cross-border collaboration often struggles, Citizens proves it can work. In a fragmented landscape of thousands of agencies, the collective brings the best specialists together as one integrated player. Citizens enables both SMEs and multinationals to adapt faster and stronger in a rapidly changing digital world.
"More than two years ago, I dreamed of building a leading agency. But I believed the real strength was 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
Citizens deliberately chooses a different path than classic consolidations: no heavy structure, no outside investors. The culture remains personal, entrepreneurial, hardworking, and grounded. A collective of founders that gives value back to the people who create it.
"From the very beginning, we wanted Faceworks to be an organization where people grow, clients feel understood, and long-term relationships come first. For 25 years we’ve faced challenges and opportunities together. With Citizens, we see the next chapter: growing and learning through collaboration, with shared goals while preserving our own identity and culture."
- Bart de Vrind, co-founder of Citizens and founder of Faceworks
"Holdings built on traditional consolidation grow in size, but not in relevance. With Citizens, we believe in the power of talent and collaboration. We combine the benefits of an international group with the passion and drive of specialized teams. We grow by sharing, stay grounded, and use innovation to truly move clients forward. Human, agile, and impactful."
- Jo Van Snick, co-founder of Citizens and founder of Thinline
AI, data, and design are important pillars, but the core remains human. Technology is not the goal in itself—it’s about creating better results and experiences, for clients and their users.
"Together, we can offer clients 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 new 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: creating impact for clients with top-level strategy and execution. By joining forces with top experts from other domains, we amplify that impact even further."
- Els Aerts, co-founder of Citizens and founder of AGConsult
Citizens is not 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 eager to help shape this story. Together, we are building a leading group that moves not only the sector, but above all our clients, forward.
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 supports more than 1,000 clients with strategy, UX, design, development, data, performance, and social media.
"Online Department specializes in UX design for business-critical applications in government, healthcare, and the energy sector. With Citizens, we can create impact on a larger scale and realize our growth ambitions through technology and data."
- Machiel Oskam, co-founder of Citizens and founder of Online Department
"At Your Business Online, everything revolves around results and growth. Within Citizens, we combine that performance-driven mentality with the creative, strategic, and technical strengths of the other agencies. That makes us stronger and more relevant for clients."
- Joeri Peeters, co-founder of Citizens and founder of Your Business Online