DE-YAN RECEIVES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FROM SHAMROCK CAPITAL
Case Study: A Force in Experiential Innovation
DE-YAN, a leading global experiential consultancy known for its top-tier design, integrated creative strategy and digital innovation. From its inception, DE-YAN has pushed the boundaries of experiential marketing, becoming a trusted partner for iconic brands such as Google, Meta, LVMH, and Snapchat with their creative vision, cultural insights and multidisciplinary approach.
DE-YAN’s bench of expertise runs deep. They’ve built vast capabilities in the areas of augmented reality, mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and experiential design — enabling them to deliver complex solutions across a diverse range of live event settings. Throughout their rapid ascent, DE-YAN has successfully combined the art of fusing motion, technology, and brand storytelling to deliver moments that consistently resonate across industries and audiences.
Dejan Jovanovic, the company’s founder, launched DE-YAN in 2016 with a mission to redefine creativity in the experiential space. However, as DE-YAN continued its rapid growth trajectory, Mr. Jovanovic recognized the need for a strategic partnership to accelerate the Company’s global ambitions.
“What set Evros apart was their ability to seamlessly blend transactional rigor with a deep operational understanding of what DE-YAN needed to thrive. They didn’t just guide us through the deal; they acted as trusted advisors who genuinely cared about our long-term success. It was this dual perspective that turned what could have been just a transaction into a trusted relationship, and ultimately, it was instrumental in finding the perfect partner for DE-YAN.”
The Transaction: A Strategic Partnership Set for Success
DE-YAN held a clear transaction objective — not simply to scale operations, but to find a partner who could augment the uniquely disruptive, multidisciplinary approach that had become DE-YAN's hallmark. Further, it was paramount for the company to preserve the cultural and creative ethos that had come to define its character.
After a careful evaluation of potential advisor, DE-YAN selected Evros as the ideal partner. In Evros, they recognized a partner who could offer a combination of operational insight and transactional expertise set against a deep understanding of industry dynamics. Paired with a shared belief in DE-YAN’s innovative model, the result was a seamless partnership that amplified the Company’s unique strengths, cultural integrity and ensured a strategic go-to-market approach that would bolster their long-term growth objectives.
For Evros, our approach to the sell-side mandate was equal parts tactical and strategic. Our team began the engagement by collaborating with DE-YAN’s leadership to perform a comprehensive analysis of DE-YAN’s organic growth roadmap — confirming the Company’s foundational excellence that would support a successful external partnership.
As we approached the sales process, Evros executed on a central methodology of meticulous preparation and positioning of DE-YAN in the market. Beyond compiling the necessary transactional data, Evros emphasized the greater narrative that pointed to DE-YAN’s intrinsic and exceptionally unique value in providing deeply meaningful results across both the physical and digital realm — a story fully supported by DE-YAN’s track record, which resonated strongly with the highly curated group of potential buyers Evros had assembled.
When Shamrock Capital was identified as the ideal growth partner, Evros played a critical role in aligning strategic priorities between the two parties — ensuring both sides shared a cohesive vision for the future and emphasizing DE-YAN’s leadership in an increasingly integrated, omni-channel experiential world.
Throughout the process, Evros demonstrated its commitment to deeply understanding and articulating the factors that made DE-YAN exceptional, maximizing the company’s value. As an example, we deliberately created an awareness and preparation amongst the DE-YAN leadership for how to effectively operate in a post-transaction environment with an external partner. The partnership with Shamrock Capital led not only to a successful transaction, but the beginning of a transformative phase for DE-YAN that will ensure its sustained leadership in the experiential industry. Here, as part of Evros’ typical approach to client relationships, our firm will continue to help this partnership through a variety of efforts.
Experiential Evolution: The Industry Dynamics
The experiential marketing industry is undergoing a transformative evolution, driven by the convergence of key trends that are reshaping how brands connect with their audiences. Following years of digital-first strategies, there is a growing appetite among consumers —particularly younger generations — for in-person experiences.
This shift is driving companies to rethink how they connect with audiences—whether in retail stores or at live sporting events. Brands are seizing opportunities to deliver immersive, memorable interactions, while advancements in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are enabling the creation of deeply engaging and satisfying multisensory experiences. Statistics highlight the power of experiential marketing in driving brand loyalty and advocacy. Nearly 48% of marketers report that in-person events deliver the best results for content marketing, while 72% of prospective customers trust a brand more after interacting with it at a live event. Younger demographics are particularly drawn to these activations, with 67% of millennials and 42% of Gen Z reporting increased spending on unique in-person events compared to pre-pandemic levels. This demand underscores the growing importance of experiential as the centerpiece of integrated marketing strategies.
Furthermore, as AI threatens to upend some traditional advertising mediums, experiential marketing—with its in-person, real-world engagement—remains largely immune to AI-driven disruption. This inherent resilience has further fueled demand for experiential capabilities, as agencies seek to fortify themselves against AI's impact.
An Outcome Built to Last
The strategic alignment between DE-YAN and Evros Group was built upon a shared vision, where we positioned the Company as a leader in the dynamic experiential marketing sector. Through our knowledge and research of the market, a key pillar of DE-YAN’s differentiator is its rare blend of unparalleled technological expertise and an elite level creativity. And by spotlighting the transformative power of DE-YAN’s capabilities for the largest, most innovative brands in the world, Evros fostered a competitive landscape that drove maximum value for our client.
Ultimately, Shamrock Capital emerged as the ideal growth partner for DE-YAN, thanks to its impressive experience and insights in the marketing services sector and deep connections within the broader media, entertainment, marketing, sports, events and technology sectors. Shamrock’s collaborative approach, strong culture, and proven ability to scale portfolio companies aligned seamlessly with DE-YAN’s bold vision. With Shamrock’s expertise and resources, DE-YAN is poised to continue leading the charge in this rapidly evolving industry; and together, they hope to redefine experiential marketing as a cornerstone of brand engagement.
“Dejan and the entire team have been an absolute blessing to work with. Sitting at the forefront of innovation in a category undergoing tremendous change is not only exciting but also a rewarding challenge to fully materialize and communicate the value of this exceptional business. I am incredibly proud of our work and the trust we built with both DE-YAN and Shamrock Capital. I am thrilled and highly confident that this partnership will lead to an extraordinary future.”
*The above testimonial may not be representative of the experience of other clients and should not be construed as a guarantee of future performance or success.
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