Havas has acquired Unnest, a French data consulting and engineering firm specializing in cloud and AI-driven data platforms. The move strengthens Havas Media Network’s CSA unit and advances the group’s Converged.AI strategy, enhancing its ability to support brands with scalable data architecture, advanced analytics, and transformation-focused technology solutions.
Havas’ newest strategic move in the global advertising and media ecosystem signals not just an expansion of capability but a decisive commitment to deep, future-ready transformation. The group has announced the acquisition of Unnest, a fast-growing French data consulting and engineering firm known for its end-to-end expertise in designing, building, and deploying advanced data platforms. For Havas, the deal represents a crucial strengthening of Havas Media Network’s data, technology, and analytics division, CSA, and a major step in amplifying the group’s Converged.AI strategy—a blueprint that prioritizes the fusion of creative intelligence, AI, and data-driven solutions to guide brands through the increasingly complex terrains of digital transformation.
Unnest, founded in 2021 by Nicolas Chollet and Mehdi Moreau, may be young by industry standards, but it has quickly built a reputation for excellence in data engineering, cloud architecture, and AI integration. With expertise spanning Google Cloud Platform, Azure, Snowflake, Amazon Cloud, and more, the firm has carved out its place as a trusted partner for top-tier clients requiring sophisticated data infrastructure and scalable AI-powered systems. In an industry where data has become the backbone of strategic decision-making, Unnest’s rapid ascent makes it a valuable addition to any major network seeking to deepen its technological foundation.
For Havas, the acquisition is more than a tactical enhancement; it is a cultural and structural reinforcement of the group’s vision of a converged future—one where creativity is increasingly inseparable from computation, and brand experiences are shaped by intelligent systems that can learn, predict, and adapt. As global brands push for more precise insights, more resilient architectures, and more seamless activation of omnichannel campaigns, the role of cloud-native data engineering firms like Unnest becomes central to how agencies build value. By integrating Unnest’s capabilities into CSA, Havas Media Network aims to elevate its ability to deliver scalable, AI-driven solutions that power everything from audience modeling and predictive analytics to real-time optimization and automated media workflows.
The timing of the acquisition is also strategically aligned with broader industry pressures. Across markets, brands are grappling with the accelerating need for transformation—driven by new privacy constraints, the deprecation of third-party cookies, fragmented consumer journeys, and the dawn of generative AI as an operational tool. The Converged.AI strategy that Havas has been championing seeks to position the group as a partner that can help brands understand and thrive within this complex landscape. By reinforcing CSA with Unnest’s specialized engineering talent and technology stack, Havas is signaling that the era of siloed data teams and disconnected systems is over. What global marketers need now is a fully integrated, futureproof architecture—and Havas intends to provide exactly that.
Unnest’s founders, Chollet and Moreau, bring with them a philosophy rooted in building robust, adaptable systems that are designed to evolve. Their core approach emphasizes not just technical capability but strategic foresight—ensuring that the platforms they build can scale with changing business needs, withstand regulatory shifts, and integrate new AI models as they emerge. For clients, this translates to long-term stability and the freedom to innovate without costly reinvention. Havas clearly recognizes the power of this foundation, especially as demand for AI-enabled solutions accelerates across industries from retail and entertainment to finance and healthcare.
The acquisition also reflects a larger trend within global advertising networks: the race to build in-house technology muscle. Over the past five years, agencies have progressively shifted from viewing data as a supplementary asset to treating it as core infrastructure. Competitive advantage now hinges on the ability to process data at speed, extract insight with precision, and translate those insights into creative and media actions that drive growth. Engineering capabilities—once seen as the domain of specialized consultancies—are now essential for agency networks striving to remain relevant in an AI-first world. With Unnest onboard, Havas adds not only technical talent but a new layer of credibility in this high-stakes arena.
Another dimension of this acquisition is the value it brings to client-facing operations. As marketers seek greater transparency and stronger governance in how their data ecosystems are built and managed, the integration of Unnest enables CSA to provide more confident, end-to-end oversight. From cloud migration to data governance, from AI model deployment to advanced analytics dashboards, Havas can now offer a fuller spectrum of services without dependence on external partners. This consolidation enhances operational efficiency but also deepens trust—an increasingly precious commodity in an era marked by regulatory scrutiny and public anxiety around data privacy.
For Unnest, becoming part of Havas Media Network opens the door to global expansion and the opportunity to operationalize its engineering expertise across a wider geographic footprint. The firm’s portfolio already includes top-tier clients in France, but within Havas, it gains access to a global network spanning dozens of markets. This presents an opportunity not just to scale operations but to collaborate closely with creative, media, and strategy teams around the world—teams that are eager for technological partnerships that unlock new storytelling, personalization, and performance possibilities. The integration of engineering talent into a creative organization often sparks new modes of innovation, and Havas is betting that this collision of disciplines will produce meaningful new value.
This acquisition also comes at a time when global brands are increasingly measuring their partners not just on creative output but on technological sophistication. Procurement teams and CMOs alike are evaluating agencies on their ability to support complex data environments, deploy AI responsibly, and deliver measurable business outcomes. By expanding its engineering capabilities through Unnest, Havas strengthens its pitch as a truly end-to-end partner—one that can ideate, build, activate, and optimize with equal rigor.
As the industry enters a new phase defined by generative AI, automated workflows, and hyper-personalized experiences, the ability to build scalable, trustworthy, cloud-native data foundations is becoming non-negotiable. Havas’ acquisition of Unnest demonstrates an understanding that the future will reward organizations that invest not just in ideas but in infrastructure. With Unnest now part of CSA, Havas Media Network is reinforcing its place among the players shaping the next era of data-powered marketing.
In bringing together creative expertise, strategic insight, and deep technological capability, Havas is crafting a blueprint for what the modern agency network must look like. The acquisition of Unnest is a decisive step toward that future—a future where transformation is not a challenge but a shared opportunity, and where brands can navigate complexity with confidence, clarity, and the power of converged intelligence at their side.
