US Investment Firm Guggenheim Brothers Partners with Abu Dhabi's Ethmar International Holding on Multi-Million Dollar Creator Fund
A significant partnership has been announced between US investment firm Guggenheim Brothers Media and Abu Dhabi-based Ethmar International Holding, aimed at launching a multi-million dollar fund focused on media and entertainment in the digital content creation space.
The newly established fund will support early-to-growth creator-led companies, with the long-term vision of positioning Abu Dhabi as a strategic global base for media and creator-tech growth. According to the statement, this investment move is part of a broader drive by Abu Dhabi to diversify its oil-based economy through the development of a thriving media and entertainment industry hub.
Guggenheim Brothers Media, founded in 2024, boasts an experienced leadership team with backgrounds at prominent companies such as UTA, Anonymous Content, Lionsgate, Hello Sunshine, and Webtoon. The firm has already identified early-stage creator-led companies to invest in, including Los Angeles-based digital comedy production outfit Stapleview and US studio The Lighthouse.
Criswell Fiordalis, co-founder of Guggenheim Brothers Media, is set to speak at the upcoming 1 Billion Follower Summit in Dubai, which will bring together around 15,000 content creators and feature over 500 speakers. This event highlights the growing importance of investment in the creator economy, shifting from individual bets to scalable companies and infrastructure.
The partnership between Guggenheim Brothers Media and Ethmar International Holding is expected to provide a significant boost to Abu Dhabi's ambitions to become a global media and entertainment industry hub. With its Yas Creative Hub attracting prominent players such as CNN, Ubisoft, and National Geographic, the city has positioned itself as one of the world's fastest-growing media markets.
As the firm and its partner push forward with their mission, they aim to build "the destination platform for the world's emerging creative businesses." This strategic partnership is poised to bring a new wave of growth and investment to Abu Dhabi's rapidly evolving media landscape.
A significant partnership has been announced between US investment firm Guggenheim Brothers Media and Abu Dhabi-based Ethmar International Holding, aimed at launching a multi-million dollar fund focused on media and entertainment in the digital content creation space.
The newly established fund will support early-to-growth creator-led companies, with the long-term vision of positioning Abu Dhabi as a strategic global base for media and creator-tech growth. According to the statement, this investment move is part of a broader drive by Abu Dhabi to diversify its oil-based economy through the development of a thriving media and entertainment industry hub.
Guggenheim Brothers Media, founded in 2024, boasts an experienced leadership team with backgrounds at prominent companies such as UTA, Anonymous Content, Lionsgate, Hello Sunshine, and Webtoon. The firm has already identified early-stage creator-led companies to invest in, including Los Angeles-based digital comedy production outfit Stapleview and US studio The Lighthouse.
Criswell Fiordalis, co-founder of Guggenheim Brothers Media, is set to speak at the upcoming 1 Billion Follower Summit in Dubai, which will bring together around 15,000 content creators and feature over 500 speakers. This event highlights the growing importance of investment in the creator economy, shifting from individual bets to scalable companies and infrastructure.
The partnership between Guggenheim Brothers Media and Ethmar International Holding is expected to provide a significant boost to Abu Dhabi's ambitions to become a global media and entertainment industry hub. With its Yas Creative Hub attracting prominent players such as CNN, Ubisoft, and National Geographic, the city has positioned itself as one of the world's fastest-growing media markets.
As the firm and its partner push forward with their mission, they aim to build "the destination platform for the world's emerging creative businesses." This strategic partnership is poised to bring a new wave of growth and investment to Abu Dhabi's rapidly evolving media landscape.
I'm not convinced about this partnership being as good as it seems... I mean, why should we believe that just because Guggenheim Brothers Media has connections with big companies like UTA and Hello Sunshine, they'll be able to spot the next huge creator-led company? What's their track record on investing in startups?
I think it's awesome that Abu Dhabi is investing in creating its own creator economy hub 
, especially with Guggenheim Brothers Media on board 
! This partnership has the potential to bring in a lot of cool talent and innovative projects from around the world 
. With Yas Creative Hub already attracting big names like CNN and Ubisoft, it's clear that Abu Dhabi is serious about becoming a major player in the global media landscape 
. I'm curious to see how this fund will support early-stage creator-led companies and help them grow into scalable businesses 
. Maybe we'll see some amazing new shows or podcasts come out of this partnership 
!
. What makes me skeptical is that we're already seeing a ton of investment in the creator economy from other firms and individuals. Is Abu Dhabi really trying to become the next Hollywood or something? 
And what about the Yas Creative Hub? Is it just a PR stunt to attract big-name brands like CNN and Ubisoft, or is it actually going to support actual creative talent?
with this investment 
. Guggenheim Brothers Media has got some serious cred too, former UTA reps, Anonymous Content alumni... that's a solid foundation for creating some magic 
. now it's all about building that platform and making Abu Dhabi the go-to spot for creators. wish 'em luck! 
I mean, think about it, Abu Dhabi wants to be the next Hollywood, but instead of just movies, they're investing in the whole creator economy thing, including digital content creation and studios. It's like, a multi-billion dollar fund that'll support early-to-growth companies, which means we can expect some amazing new shows and movies from these creators! 
And can you imagine having major players like CNN, Ubisoft, and National Geographic at their Yas Creative Hub? That's like, totally epic! 
The Lighthouse studio is already part of the investment, so we might see some cool projects from them soon. Criswell Fiordalis speaking at the 1 Billion Follower Summit in Dubai is a big deal too, because that event brings together tons of content creators and industry leaders. This partnership is definitely gonna bring a new level of growth and investment to Abu Dhabi's media landscape, so I'm hyped! 
this is so lit 
! I mean, can you imagine having a platform that supports creators and helps them grow into scalable companies? It's like, the ultimate goal for any creator 
. And Abu Dhabi is like, totally on point 
with this move, positioning themselves as a major player in the media industry 
. I'm defo keeping an eye on this partnership 
that Criswell Fiordalis is gonna speak at the 1 Billion Follower Summit in Dubai, how exciting...for Abu Dhabi, I'm sure 