DEPT
This Carlyle-backed digital network sells GEO connected to experience, content, commerce, and technology.
Facts
| Website | dept.global |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Global (Carlyle) |
| Founded | Not listed |
| Ownership | Private equity-backed (Carlyle, 2021) |
| Stance | Full-service with GEO |
| Typical buyer | Enterprise digital and experience leaders |
| Delivery | Digital network retainer with GEO |
| Verticals | Toys / Kids Products, Utilities, Agriculture, Hospitality, Pharma, Biotech, Financial Services, Retail, Ecommerce, Banking, High Tech, CPG |
| Specialties | Enterprise |
GEO / AEO philosophy
DEPT treats GEO as part of the wider digital ecosystem, not a stand-alone citation sprint.
Offering
- Publishes a dedicated generative engine optimization offer.
- Connects GEO to experience, content, commerce, and technology.
- Backed by Carlyle since 2021 per the ownership map.
Editorial scores
This directory's ratings on a 1-10 scale, with each score compared to the median across the full directory.
| Dimension | Score | Score bar | Vs Directory Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical GEO | 6 | 1 | |
| Lead generation | 5 | 1 | |
| Thought leadership | 5 | = | |
| Entity / knowledge graph | 5 | 1 | |
| Local / multi-location | 3 | = | |
| Enterprise readiness | 8 | 2 | |
| Innovation | 5 | = | |
| Measurement | 5 | = |
Service mix
This directory's estimate of how the published practice splits across work types.
Best At
- GEO connected to digital experience
- Carlyle-backed global delivery
- Technical, content, and commerce integration
Poor Fit When
- the goal is a $2k/month local SEO package
- you need a PR-only crisis firm
- the hire is for venture-backed SEO agents under 20 people
Clients
No named clients recorded for this profile.
Claim strength
- Named clients
- Clients in case studies
- Verified clients
Innovation
Dedicated GEO page inside a digital-experience network.
Pricing vs Performance Spectrum
Practice timeline
2021
Carlyle partnership
Carlyle partnership
Swipe left or right to see the full timeline.
Proof ladder
This section ranks the public proof behind the agency from strongest to weakest.
| Rung | Evidence for this agency |
|---|---|
| 1 - Independent Third-Party Coverage | TGA, Who Owns the GEO/AEO Agencies? The 2026 Ownership Map |
| 2 - Case Studies | None recorded |
| 3 - Named Clients | None recorded |
| 4 - Anecdotes | None recorded |
Evidence stack
This section weighs the public evidence of the agency's credibility, breaking down each piece of evidence by its category ("Type"), a description, and how strong it is ("Strength").
| Type | Description | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Named clients | None recorded in this edition. | None recorded |
| Original research | Dedicated generative-engine-optimization page is public. Carlyle investment since 2021 is on the ownership map. | Directory note |
| Tools / product | Dedicated GEO page inside a digital-experience network. | As published |
| Third-party writeups | TGA, Who Owns the GEO/AEO Agencies? The 2026 Ownership Map | Third party |