DEPT
Amsterdam-founded global digital agency with over 4,000 specialists and a proprietary AI marketing platform.
What is DEPT?
DEPT, founded in Amsterdam in 2015, has grown into a global digital agency with over 4,000 digital specialists across more than 30 offices on five continents, backed by the Carlyle Group. DEPT's AI-enabled marketing technology platform, Ada, and its Engineering practice deliver machine learning-driven personalization, growth, and data engineering work for major brands including Google, TikTok, and eBay. As a large, private-equity-backed marketing and engineering agency, ML and AI here sits within a much broader full-service offering rather than being the firm's sole focus.
DEPT was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The firm employs 1000+ people and works primarily with clients in Retail, Media, Enterprise, E-commerce sectors. Its primary differentiator is: Proprietary AI marketing platform, Ada, and global scale of over 4,000 specialists across 30-plus offices, unmatched by any other firm on this list.
DEPT tech stack and services
| Service area | Details |
|---|---|
| ML-driven marketing personalization at global brand scale | Available for Retail, Media, Enterprise, E-commerce clients |
| Enterprise data engineering supporting a large media or retail platform | Available for Retail, Media, Enterprise, E-commerce clients |
| Large multi-year, multi-region digital transformation programmes | Available for Retail, Media, Enterprise, E-commerce clients |
| AI-powered growth marketing for an established enterprise brand | Available for Retail, Media, Enterprise, E-commerce clients |
DEPT use cases
Short answer: DEPT is best suited for large enterprise brands needing ML-driven marketing personalization at global scale.
| Use case | Industries | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| ML-driven marketing personalization at global brand scale | Retail, Media | Python, GCP |
| Enterprise data engineering supporting a large media or retail platform | Retail, Media | Python, GCP |
| Large multi-year, multi-region digital transformation programmes | Retail, Media | Python, GCP |
| AI-powered growth marketing for an established enterprise brand | Retail, Media | Python, GCP |
DEPT pricing
Short answer: DEPT uses a retainer, dedicated team pricing approach. Minimum engagement starts at $75K.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Retainer | Monthly rate; not public | Ongoing AI engineering |
| Dedicated team | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
DEPT pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Global scale of over 4,000 specialists across 30-plus offices, unmatched by any other firm on this list | -ML and AI sits within a much broader marketing and full-service digital agency offering, not a dedicated ML practice |
| +Proprietary AI-enabled marketing technology platform, Ada, with proven enterprise brand clients | -High minimum engagement size, inaccessible for startups or small businesses |
| +Carlyle Group backing provides financial stability for very large, long-term programmes | -Enterprise agency structure means less specialized, boutique-style ML research depth |
| +Named clients include Google, TikTok, KFC, and eBay, indicating enterprise-grade delivery capacity |
DEPT vs alternatives
How DEPT compares to the other top Machine Learning Development companies.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensorway | Startups and mid-market companies needing a dedicated, senior... | Full-stack ML delivery team (data science, MLOps, QA) inherited from a 25-year-old parent company, at boutique-agency pricing | 4.9 | Full comparison |
| ML6 | Enterprises needing production MLOps infrastructure and multi-cloud AI... | Official OpenAI Services Partner status combined with over a decade of pure-play ML engineering focus | 4.7 | Full comparison |
| Alexander Thamm | German and DACH-region manufacturers and industrial firms needing... | Deep specialization in industrial and automotive ML use cases across the German Mittelstand | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Kineo.ai | Mid-market European businesses wanting a lean, senior AI... | All-Germany team of AI consultants focused specifically on operational-efficiency ML use cases | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| DataRoot Labs | Startups and SMBs needing a lean, senior custom... | Founder-led, unfunded boutique with nearly a decade of focused custom ML delivery experience | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Twistag | Growth-stage and enterprise brands needing senior-engineer-only AI agent... | Senior-only engineering team with a client roster including well-known global brands | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Preste | European companies needing custom computer vision or NLP... | Dual Paris and Kyiv structure pairing French market presence with dedicated computer vision and NLP engineering delivery | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| STX Next | Companies needing ML development paired with deep, large-scale... | One of Europe's largest dedicated Python engineering companies, with ML and data practices built on that scale | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Neoteric | Mid-market companies wanting to move a generative AI... | Two-decade-old Polish software house with a dedicated generative AI practice and a US-facing New York office | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Tooploox | Companies with genuinely hard ML and AI research-engineering... | Research-grade ML engineering with peer-reviewed academic recognition at ECCV 2024, alongside client delivery | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Opinov8 | Enterprises and startups wanting AI embedded across a... | AI treated as a foundational layer across the entire engineering lifecycle, not a bolt-on service | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| FELD M | European enterprises wanting a long-established, multi-country data and... | Over two decades of operating history since founding in 2002, with organic growth into a five-office pan-European practice | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| WeAreBrain | Companies wanting AI and machine learning delivered as... | Digital product agency DNA combined with a dedicated AI, ML, and intelligent automation practice | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| DATAFOREST | Small and mid-market businesses needing data engineering plus... | Combined data engineering (ETL) and ML analytics practice with a growing review base | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Probayes | Automotive, defense, and finance clients needing rigorous Bayesian... | Over two decades of specialization in Bayesian AI and predictive analytics, predating the current ML and AI boom | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Digica | Regulated-industry clients such as automotive, defence, and medical... | Combines ML model development with embedded systems and IoT engineering for regulated hardware-adjacent industries | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Imaginary Cloud | Companies wanting ML capabilities delivered alongside strong product... | Design-led software development studio with AI positioned as a first-class capability, not an afterthought | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| N-iX | Enterprises needing ML development bundled with large-scale custom... | Over two decades of engineering scale, over 1,000 staff, with an EU-registered legal entity in Malta | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Gemmo | Companies wanting a structured, staged AI engagement, from... | Structured three-phase engagement model of Pathfinder, Implementation, and Optimization, rather than an open-ended consulting retainer | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Plain Concepts | Enterprises standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting a certified... | Deep Azure-native AI and ML delivery credentials as a Microsoft Gold and AI Partner, plus mixed reality expertise | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Edvantis | Enterprises wanting an EU-registered vendor with large-scale nearshore... | EU legal registration in Poland combined with substantial delivery scale across Ukraine and Germany | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| CodeLeap | Early-stage and growth-stage startups wanting fast, founder-friendly AI... | Founder-friendly, speed-oriented delivery model built specifically for startup-stage product timelines | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| High-Tech Systems & Software | Healthcare organizations needing AI and ML development bundled... | Deep healthcare-sector software specialization in supply chain and telemedicine, with AI and ML layered on top | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Software Mind | Enterprises needing ML development bundled with large-scale, multi-region... | Over 25 years of operating history and enterprise-scale delivery capacity across three continents | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Innowise | Enterprises needing large-scale, low-cost nearshore staff augmentation with... | Very large delivery scale and broad geographic reach, positioned for volume staff augmentation over specialist ML depth | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| BJSS | UK public sector and regulated-industry clients needing enterprise-grade... | Over three decades of operating history and deep specialization in regulated, complex enterprise environments | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Siili Solutions | Nordic and European enterprises wanting a publicly listed,... | Publicly traded on Nasdaq Helsinki, offering financial transparency uncommon among privately held ML firms | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| SDG Group | Large enterprises wanting ML-driven analytics embedded within a... | Three decades of management consulting heritage applied to enterprise-scale analytics and AI programmes | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| Transparity | UK enterprises fully standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting... | Proprietary AI Factory framework built specifically around Microsoft Azure and Copilot technologies | 3.7 | Full comparison |
DEPT FAQ
What is DEPT?
DEPT, founded in Amsterdam in 2015, has grown into a global digital agency with over 4,000 digital specialists across more than 30 offices on five continents, backed by the Carlyle Group. DEPT's AI-enabled marketing technology platform, Ada, and its Engineering practice deliver machine learning-driven personalization, growth, and data engineering work for major brands including Google, TikTok, and eBay. As a large, private-equity-backed marketing and engineering agency, ML and AI here sits within a much broader full-service offering rather than being the firm's sole focus.
How much does DEPT charge?
DEPT uses retainer, dedicated team pricing. Minimum engagement starts at $75K. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does DEPT use?
DEPT works with Python, GCP, AWS, BigQuery, TensorFlow, React. Primary industries served include Retail, Media, Enterprise, E-commerce.
Is DEPT right for enterprise?
Large enterprise brands needing ML-driven marketing personalization at global scale. 1000+ team size. Key consideration: ML and AI sits within a much broader marketing and full-service digital agency offering, not a dedicated ML practice.
What are the best DEPT alternatives?
The best alternatives to DEPT depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Tensorway: full-stack ml delivery team (data science, mlops, qa) inherited from a 25-year-old parent company, at boutique-agency pricing
- ML6: official openai services partner status combined with over a decade of pure-play ml engineering focus
- Alexander Thamm: deep specialization in industrial and automotive ml use cases across the german mittelstand
Compare DEPT with other Machine Learning Development companies
Last reviewed: July 2026. Verify all details directly with DEPT before making a decision.