The Many Acquires Majority Stake in Immersive Technology Studio CatalystXR, Expanding Global Participation Capabilities

Independent agency The Many adds XR, VR, and AR expertise as it continues building The Participation Company across the US, Canada, and Australia

LOS ANGELES — The Many, the independent agency known for building participation-led brands and businesses, today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in CatalystXR, an Australian immersive technology studio specializing in XR, VR, AR, and large-scale interactive environments. CatalystXR founder Jamie Gilroy joins The Many as Partner in Charge of Participatory Technology.

Organizations are committing to XR because it solves real problems: training, operational understanding, and large-scale engagement. Participatory technology turns ideas into environments people can move through, learn from, and act on.

The acquisition marks the latest chapter in The Many’s global expansion, which now spans offices in Los Angeles, Sydney, and Victoria, and reflects the agency’s core belief that the most powerful thing a brand, organization, or idea can do is invite people in rather than broadcast at them.

“We don’t do passive. We never have,” said Damien Eley, CEO of The Many Australia. “Immersive technology is our belief made physical. It lets people step inside an idea, understand it, test it, and experience it for themselves. That’s a fundamentally different role for creativity.”

CatalystXR brings a decade of proven delivery to the partnership, with more than 300 projects across eight countries spanning cultural institutions, healthcare, enterprise, sport, and training. The studio has built a reputation for deploying immersive technology not as novelty, but as infrastructure for real strategic outcomes.

“The shift we’re seeing isn’t about curiosity anymore,” said Gilroy. “Organizations are committing to XR because it solves real problems: training, operational understanding, and large-scale engagement. Participatory technology turns ideas into environments people can move through, learn from, and act on.”

For The Many, the move is a continuation of a thesis the agency has been building toward since its founding: that participation is not a campaign tactic but an organizational capability. The acquisition adds immersive technology as a core layer of that capability, alongside the agency’s existing strategy, creative, and content operations.

“This isn’t about adding a service line,” said Christian Jacobsen, Co-Founder of The Many. “It’s about building infrastructure around participation. The next era belongs to organizations that can design systems for engagement, not just messages about it. CatalystXR makes that capability physical.”

In the near term, both businesses will continue operating as distinct entities while collaborating across client work. The long-term ambition is a fully integrated participatory technology offering.

About The Many We Don’t Do Passive. The Many is The Participation Company—an independent, full-service advertising agency built on a simple belief: people don’t want to be interrupted. They want to be involved. We call it participation marketing, and we’ve built everything around it. A global independent with founder-led offices in Los Angeles, Sydney, and Victoria, we bring together strategy, creative, social, content, media, experiential, and measurement to help brands build systems of participation: work that compounds, not just campaigns that run. A three-time Ad Age Small Agency of the Year winner and holder of three Guinness World Records, The Many manages over $100M in paid media and has earned recognition at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clios, Shortys, LIAs, Andys, and Promax. We partner with brands across tech, beverage, CPG, QSR, entertainment, and sustainability who are ready to move beyond purely interruption-based advertising. Because the most valuable brands won’t be built by the biggest budgets, they’ll be built by the most active participants. themany.com

About CatalystXR CatalystXR is an Australian immersive technology studio specializing in XR, VR, AR, and large-scale interactive environments. With 300+ projects across eight countries, CatalystXR designs participatory experiences that help organizations train, engage, and operate in new ways.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260420212260/en/

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