Big Money Moves into Media and Creators

A new fund is making waves in the world of media and creators. Guggenheim Brothers Media, backed by Abu Dhabi's Ethmar International Holding, has raised $50 million. They plan to invest in startups focused on media, entertainment, and the creator economy. The goal? To pour $2 million to $5 million into 10 to 15 companies. They hope to grow the fund to $75 million. Leading this venture are Dillon Lawson-Johnston and Criswell Fiordalis. Lawson-Johnston comes from a family with deep roots in art and culture. His great-great-grandfather founded the famous Guggenheim Museum in New York. Fiordalis has a strong background in entertainment, having worked with big names like Lionsgate and Hello Sunshine. The UAE is also playing a big role here. The country is investing heavily in US media and entertainment. They want to move away from relying solely on oil. One of their projects, Creators HQ, aims to bring 10, 000 creators to the UAE. Lawson-Johnston's family is even opening a Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi in 2026. So, what's the plan? The fund will mainly focus on the US, where the creator economy is booming. Advertisers are expected to spend $37 billion with creators by 2025. That's growing four times faster than overall media spending.The fund is betting on four big trends. First, creators are trying to reduce their reliance on a single person. Investors are wary of backing just one creator. That's why big names like Steven Bartlett are building networks of creators. Lawson-Johnston and Fiordalis are interested in creators who think beyond themselves. Second, Hollywood has a lot of old content that can be revived. Traditional media companies have tons of intellectual property. They want to give it new life in digital media. Lawson-Johnston and Fiordalis see this as a chance for creators and Hollywood to work together. Third, brands are eager to work with creators. They want to reach younger consumers. The Interactive Advertising Bureau found that brands prefer mid-tier creators. These are influencers with 50, 000 to 500, 000 followers. They can drive sales and awareness. Fourth, advertisers want better ways to measure the success of their campaigns. They're no longer just looking at follower counts. They want to see real results. Lawson-Johnston and Fiordalis are interested in companies that can standardize how creators are measured.