Why we joined Friends of Cartel
February 3, 2026- by Jonas Verheijden
:focal(undefined))
When Born Digital started in 2017, the ambition was simple: design and build digital products we could be genuinely proud of. Thoughtful UX, strong visual systems, and technical depth that didn’t fall apart after launch. No shortcuts. That ambition hasn’t changed. The context around it has.
Over the past few years, digital work has matured. What used to be “a website” is now a living product. Connected to systems, teams, data, strategy, and long-term business decisions. Expectations are higher, stakes are real, and the margin for half-baked thinking is gone.
That reality forced us to reflect. Not on what we do, but on how we stay strong doing it.
Growth isn’t just about getting bigger
As founders, Maarten and I have always been careful with growth. Not because we’re risk-averse, but because we care deeply about quality, culture and focus. Growing for the sake of headcount or revenue never interested us.
But staying small at all costs is just as dangerous.
We started noticing a shift in our projects. More stakeholders. More technical complexity. More need for strategic alignment upstream, before design or development even begins. We were increasingly involved in conversations that went beyond screens and systems, into positioning, narrative and long-term vision.
That’s a good place to be.
But it also requires broader context and stronger shoulders.
:focal(undefined))
Why Friends of Cartel made sense
Joining Friends of Cartel wasn’t a sudden decision. It was the result of many conversations, shared values, and a growing sense of alignment.
What convinced us wasn’t scale alone. It was how that scale is organised.
Friends of Cartel is built as a collective of expert agencies. Each with its own identity, culture and craft. Strategy, creativity, technology, media, performance. Different disciplines, working closer together without being flattened into one generic agency blob.
For us, that mattered.
We did it to build better, with more context, and with people who challenge us in the right ways.
:focal())
What changes, and what doesn’t
Born Digital continues to operate under its own name, from Corda Campus. We keep doing what we do best: UX, digital product design, design systems, platforms, development, and AI-driven solutions.
It meant we could stay Born Digital. The same standards and the same design-first mindset — now strengthened by the integration with the digital team within Friends of Cartel. Together, we’re growing into a team of 14.
That scale gives us breathing room: more depth, more continuity, and more space to consistently deliver quality.
At the same time, we become part of a broader network of experts within Friends of Cartel. Strategists, creatives, and makers we can collaborate with from the start. That allows us to think beyond individual touchpoints and design digital products as part of a larger ecosystem.
For our team, this means more learning, more impact, and more room to grow without compromising on standards. For our clients, it results in solutions that are better grounded, more resilient, and built with a longer-term horizon.
A deliberate step forward
This move also fits within the broader vision of Glowi, as the group behind Friends of Cartel, actively investing in technology, talent, and long-term innovation.
For us, that’s reassuring. It signals a conscious, long-term commitment with real depth. And that depth is essential when you care about craft.
Looking ahead
Joining Friends of Cartel isn’t an endpoint. It’s a foundation.
We didn’t make this move to go faster at any cost.
We made it to build better, with more context, stronger teams, and people who challenge us in the right ways.
Still Born Digital.
Now part of something built for what’s next.
If you’re curious what this means for your product, platform, or digital roadmap, we're always happy to talk.