Residence Adds Social Agency OK COOL to Global Creative Network

LONDON, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Residence, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital and a global network of creative companies, announced today the acquisition of OK COOL, a creative agency known for social-native storytelling and creator-led campaigns. The acquisition reinforces Residence's focus on best-in-class creative businesses and reflects the accelerating shift of brand investment toward social-first, audience-centric channels.

Founded in 2016, OK COOL employs more than 100 people across London, New York, and Sydney and helps brands connect with contemporary culture through relevant, social-native work. The agency partners with leading global companies including Spotify, Nike, Lululemon, Puma, TikTok Shop, Berghaus, and Uniqlo, and will continue to operate under its own brand and leadership team as part of Residence's global network. The transaction expands Residence's capabilities across social strategy, creator partnerships, always-on content, audience insight, and real-time measurement, while further strengthening its presence across the UK, EU, APAC, and North America.

"We're building a network of companies that actually strengthen each other," said Ryan Honey, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Residence. "OK COOL brings social-native expertise that expands the Residence offering, and they share our commitment to craft, community, and collaboration. That creates value for both our companies and our clients."

Jolyon Varley, Co-Founder and Global Head of Brand at OK COOL, said, "I can't conceive of a better home for OK COOL. Residence understands that we are doing something extraordinary in creativity and they want to support us to scale that globally."

Liz Stone, Co-Founder and Global Chief Creative Officer at OK COOL, added, "Residence's ambition to raise the creative bar globally is exactly what drew us in. They deeply understand what we're building at OK COOL and how social-native creative can move culture forward. That alignment ensures our creative values are protected and amplified as we grow the vision together."

About Residence

Residence is a global network of creative companies united by a shared mission: to empower creative potential. Its companies bring deep expertise across branding, experiential marketing, digital products, media, and community-building, working collectively to help ambitious organizations make a meaningful impact. Residence was founded to champion best-in-class creative work while supporting the talent and culture that make it possible. For more information, visit residence.co.

About OK COOL

OK COOL is a culture-first creative agency with teams in London, New York, and Sydney. The agency focuses on social-native storytelling and creator partnerships, helping brands communicate in ways that feel relevant to contemporary culture. Its team brings expertise in cultural insight, platform strategy, and content production across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging channels. Through campaigns, always-on programs, and paid social, OK COOL supports brands looking to build meaningful, timely connections with their audiences. For more information, visit okcool.io.

About Gemspring Capital

Gemspring Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm with $5.1 billion of capital under management, provides flexible capital solutions to middle market companies. Gemspring partners with talented management teams and takes a partnership approach to helping drive revenue growth, value creation, and sustainable competitive advantages. Target companies have up to $2.0 billion in revenue and are in the business services, consumer services, financial and insurance services, healthcare, industrial, software, and tech-enabled services sectors. For more information, visit www.gemspring.com.

Contact: Zubin Malkani, [email protected]

SOURCE Gemspring Capital