Portfolio companies gain direct access to performance branding and experiential marketing through MMC’s equity-aligned partner network

Mercurius Media Capital (MMC), the first U.S.-based media-for-equity venture fund, today announced that WITHIN, a performance branding company, and Denimrush, an experiential marketing and custom merchandise agency, have joined the fund as Limited Partners.

Customer acquisition costs have risen sharply across digital channels, and eighty percent of growth-stage consumer startups cite distribution and awareness as their primary scaling constraint. MMC’s model addresses both sides of that equation: converting underutilized media inventory into structured growth capital and giving portfolio companies access to the capabilities they need to turn attention into sustained revenue. The addition of WITHIN and Denimrush extends that model into performance marketing and experiential activation, two areas where consumer brands at the growth stage typically face the steepest learning curves and the highest upfront costs.

WITHIN

WITHIN applies a Performance Branding approach that ties brand investment directly to measurable business outcomes. The agency brings together media, creative, and measurement across search, social, retail media, connected TV, and lifecycle marketing, with brand and performance efforts always aligned to the same growth goals. As media AOR for global consumer brands including Foot Locker, The North Face, and OneWheel, WITHIN uses proprietary tools such as media mix modeling and incrementality testing to pinpoint what’s driving incremental growth.

"Early-stage brands shouldn’t have to choose between building awareness and driving performance. What MMC is building removes that tradeoff,” said Joseph Yakuel, Founder & CEO of WITHIN. “We’re excited to bring the same measurement infrastructure and media strategy we provide to global brands to the companies in their portfolio.”

Denimrush

Denimrush develops merchandise, influencer mailers and packaging, and on-site customization programs that transform physical brand execution into scalable earned media channels. The agency integrates creative, structural design, production, and live customization to align tangible brand systems with measurable growth objectives. Across beauty, CPG, QSR, and performance apparel, Denimrush drives sellouts, wait-line demand, and sustained organic posting through repeatable programs for brands including Laneige, Wendy’s, Bloom Nutrition, NOYZ, Good Girl Snacks, and Under Armour. By turning physical moments into compounding brand assets, Denimrush increases capital efficiency and long-term brand equity.

“In a world where digital attention is rented, physical experience is owned. Consumers are craving tangible, community-driven moments that move beyond the screen,” said Aparna Avasarala, Founder & CEO of Denimrush. “The brands thinking long term aren’t choosing between awareness and engagement - they’re building physical systems that turn campaign spend into enduring brand assets. Partnering within the MMC ecosystem allows us to integrate those systems into a broader media and growth infrastructure. That’s where we see the future of growth.”

For consumer brands at an inflection point, performance marketing and experiential activation are not optional line items. They are what separate a product that gets noticed from a brand that gets remembered. With WITHIN and Denimrush now part of the network, MMC portfolio companies can access both through the same equity-aligned structure from day one.

“Media remains the anchor of our model, but the value lies in how attention is created, amplified, and extended,” said Piyush Puri, Founding Partner of MMC. “WITHIN brings deep expertise across performance marketing, digital growth, and creative optimization, while Denimrush translates brand moments into tangible experiences through merchandise and activations. Together, they allow us to integrate both forward and backward along the media value chain while strengthening the broader attention stack we are building.”

About Mercurius Media Capital

Mercurius Media Capital (MMC) is pioneering a new category in venture capital: media as growth capital. As the first U.S.-based media-for-equity venture fund, MMC provides high-growth consumer companies with premium advertising inventory in exchange for equity, enabling them to scale brand awareness and customer acquisition without sacrificing cash reserves.

Co-founded by Satyan Gajwani and Piyush Puri, who bring over fifteen years of experience and a $3 billion track record in media investments through The Times of India Group, MMC launched in December 2023 with over $148 million in committed capital. The firm partners with leading media platforms, including Sinclair Broadcast Group, TelevisaUnivision, and Atmosphere TV, to deliver nationwide reach across television, digital, and out-of-home channels.

MMC has deployed nearly $30 million across its portfolio, empowering startups to compete with established players by combining capital efficiency, advertising expertise, and strategic operational support under one platform.

About WITHIN

WITHIN is the leading Performance Branding company. We work with renowned brands like The North Face, Ben & Jerry's, Foot Locker, Movado Group, and Touchland, aligning their marketing and business objectives through integrated media and content services. Our team of Performance Branding experts work seamlessly across channels, partnering closely with our clients to remove silos and maximize profit. This is done with a full funnel approach, deeply rooted in LTV and Measurement.

About Denimrush

Denimrush is an experiential merchandising agency that turns brand ideas into physical reality. We work with consumer, lifestyle, and CPG brands to design and produce elevated merch, strategic PR packaging, and immersive on site customization that give campaigns something tangible to live through. By handling everything from concept and design to sourcing, manufacturing, and execution, we create physical brand moments that spark real-world connection and naturally extend into digital impact.

*For Accredited Investors Only.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305386233/en/

“Media remains the anchor of our model, but the value lies in how attention is created, amplified, and extended,” said Piyush Puri, Founding Partner of MMC.