Creative experiential agency, Brandfuel has sold a minority stake to US-based Clarim Holdings and formed a joint venture with Worth Media Group in New York.
The agreement takes effect immediately and includes the opening of a Brandfuel headquarters in New York, supported by a dedicated US-based team.
The agency will remain privately owned and continue to operate from the UK, while using the US structure to support a growing volume of international client work.
Clarim Holdings was founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Jim McCann, best known as the founder of 1-800-Flowers.com, which he built from a single florist into a national direct-to-consumer business.
Clarim operates as a family office, investing in companies where brand, relationships, and live experience play a central role. Worth Media Group sits within that portfolio and runs invitation-only leadership events alongside publishing Worth magazine, which targets senior business leaders.
Under the terms of the deal, McCann will join Brandfuel’s board as chairman, providing guidance on US market activity and business development.
The joint venture with Worth is intended to support experiential projects around leadership events and high-level business audiences, rather than changing Brandfuel’s core service offering.
Brandfuel was founded in 2005 by David Ball, who passed away in November 2025. His co-founder Sue Sawyer, the agency’s CEO says that he was hugely excited by the opportunities offered by working with Worth and Clarim.
Sawyer said: “We had been discussing the finer details of this transatlantic arrangement for several months when David died. He was determined that we should not miss such a wonderful opportunity for the future of Brandfuel.”
She added: “We are so sad that he did not live to see the deal sealed, but we are delighted to fulfil the plans we had been working on with him.”
McCann said Brandfuel’s existing leadership and culture were central to Clarim’s decision to invest. He said: “Brandfuel has built an extraordinary reputation under David and Sue’s leadership – one rooted in creativity, integrity, and an uncompromising commitment to excellence. David’s vision lives on in the culture of the business, and it’s an honour for Clarim to support the next chapter of a company he cared so deeply about.”
Clarim managing partner Paul Stamoulis said the partnership brings together complementary strengths in experiential delivery and audience convening. He said: “Brandfuel understands how to deliver at the highest level for exceptional clients. Worth understands how to convene the right audience around the most important conversations. That intersection is where we see real long-term value together.”