Special was named global creative agency of the year and independent agency of the year by London-based Campaign.
The owners of the Ecostore empire, the Kraus family, emerge as key backers of current affairs website Newsroom, while Rod Drury and Sam Morgan have given financial and moral support.
After launching in 2014 as a pop-culture and reviews website, The Spinoff has evolved into a stable of homegrown digital media brands.
A current company executive Tex Teixeira will move into the new position.