Australian-built media platform Rubii is seeing a surge in interest from independent agencies as AI shifts from experimentation to operational infrastructure across the media sector.
The AI-powered media operating system has signed agencies including JOY, Thinkerbell, Cool Media, Media Republic, Amplifyd, Noisy Beast and Awaken as partners, with more deals expected in the coming weeks.
Founded in 2021, Rubii positions itself as an “agentic, AI-powered media operating system” designed to automate and streamline media workflows, particularly around campaign delivery, reporting, optimisation and finance operations.
The company has also appointed Kristian Waller as Chief Customer Officer, tasked with scaling partner growth and helping agencies evolve their operating models.
Waller joins from Paramount, where he served as NSW sales director, and has previously held roles at oOh!media, ARN and MTV Australia.
AI moves from hype to workflow
Rubii founder and CEO Ben Holmes said the industry was moving beyond AI experimentation and toward operational adoption.
“There’s been a lot of noise around AI, but what we’re seeing now is a shift from tools on the edges to systems at the core of how teams actually operate,” he said.
“The biggest inefficiencies and costs still sit in campaign delivery, optimisation, reporting, and finance teams. That’s where we’ve focused, and where we’re building toward full end-to-end automation.
“Partners coming on board now aren’t experimenting; they’re rebuilding how they run.”
Waller said the market was becoming increasingly crowded with disconnected AI products.
“There’s no shortage of tools, but that’s part of the problem. The sheer number of tools available creates fragmentation and slows teams down. What we’re seeing is a move toward consolidation- platforms that can handle multiple parts of the workflow in one place, rather than stitching together point solutions,” he said.
“And that’s exactly what attracted me to Rubii. Simplicity, more than ever, is critical, and we offer a single, unified AI solution for media teams of any shape, size or craft. I genuinely believe what we are building has the potential to reshape the industry.”
Indie agencies drive adoption
Independent agencies are emerging as early adopters, with executives pointing to flexibility and workflow efficiency as key drivers.
Peter Horgan, CEO of JOY, said the platform aligned with the agency’s operational approach.
“As an independent, we have the freedom to choose the best systems for how we want to work. Rubii stood out because it improves efficiency across the entire workflow – from delivery through to reporting and finance – without locking us into legacy ways of working,” he said.
At Thinkerbell, the focus has been on freeing up time for strategic and creative work.
Kathryn Furnari said: “Rubii fits effortlessly into how our teams work. The reporting functionality in particular has been a standout. What used to take hours is now done in a fraction of the time, with high-quality visualisation and AI-enabled media and creative insights.”
“That gives our teams the ability to reinvest time back into ‘Measured Magic’, which is ultimately where we deliver the most value to our clients.”
Meanwhile, Carly Bunny said the platform had supported the agency during a period of rapid expansion.
“We manage a high volume of campaigns at any one time, and Rubii has enabled us to operate at optimal efficiency. It’s been critical in helping us maintain best practice, significantly reduce manual tasks, and ultimately free up our team to focus on client service. On top of that, the level of support has been exceptional.”
Main image: Ben Holmes and Kristian Waller