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Tag: Ventureland Asia

  • For Ventureland Asia, this comes on the 40% stake in Revenant Esports, the launch of Saintfarm, a organic and sustainable foods player

    Sajan Raj Kurup ventures into publishing. Buys Rolling Stone India franchise-owner MW from Spenta

    By Our Staff

     

    Creative captain-turned-entrepreneur Sajan Raj Kurup and his Mumbai-based venture capital company Ventureland Asia Advisory Services have acquired the controlling stake in MW.com India Pvt Ltd, the publisher of magazines like Rolling Stone India and MW (Man’s World). MW.Com Pvt Ltd (MCPL) was till recently owned Spenta Multimedia Pvt Ltd.

     

    MCPL has published Rolling Stone India since 2008, the Indian edition of Rolling Stone, the world’s leading international music and pop culture title. MW, which is in its 21st year, is a men’s lifestyle magazine. According to a communique, Ventureland Asia plans to “use its strong presence in areas of marketing, brand building, visual communications, and new-age technology to chart an omnichannel digital-oriented growth strategy for Rolling Stone India and MW”.

     

    For Ventureland Asia, this comes on the 40% stake in Revenant Esports, the launch of Saintfarm, a organic and sustainable foods player. The fund has thus far invested in Media, E-commerce, Education, Healthcare, Agri-Tech and Esports – with technology innovations as the common investing theme.

     

    Said Kurup, Creator-Investor and Founder, Ventureland Asia, the investment arm of Creativeland Asia: “I have closely witnessed transformation in media consumption, media buying and media marketing. Rolling Stone India and Man’s World enjoy high levels of credibility and loyalty among its target audience. Piggybacking on that, we will bring in advanced tech interventions, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to better understand the reader and transform the hardcopy publishing to an omnichannel digital-first magazine.”

     

    Added Radhakrishnan Nair, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Rolling Stone India and MW : “Ventureland Asia’s acquisition of MCPL comes amidst the major churning that is happening on the Indian media landscape. Ventureland Asia founder Kurup’s investment expertise in digital technology and marketing acumen will be crucial as Rolling Stone India and MW work towards transforming into platform agnostic magazines, with a strong presence in the digital sphere and print.”

     

    Maneck Davar, Chairman & Publisher, Spenta Multimedia Pvt Ltd, who retains a minority stake in the company said, “MCPL needed a new orientation and direction which was more digital and experiential focused, and Creativeland Asia was a perfect fit. We are sure with the combined experience of the leadership the products will become stronger in their respective spaces.”

     

  • He has already worked as Chief Investment Officer of Ventureland Asia, the group’s venture capital fund

    Creativeland Asia brings on board Venkat Balasubramanian as CFO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Venkat Balasubramanian

    Creativeland Asia Group has brought on board Venkat Balasubramanian as the group’s Chief Financial Officer. Bala has also served as Chief Investment Officer of Ventureland Asia, the group’s venture capital fund.

     

    He has worked in the past with the Smithsonian Institution (US), Agenda 21 (UN), Universal Forum of Cultures (Barcelona), The Earth Centre (UK) and Wieden+Kennedy, as CFO.

     

    On Balasubramanian’s appointment, Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder & Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia Group, said, “When a prudent investment advisor and a finance expert comes on board, it is early signs of the times to come. Through last two years of his consultancy with Ventureland, I have found in Bala, a great partner who understands the ambition Creativeland has for itself. Now, as a key member of my team, I am certain his finance and legal acumen along with his keen sensitivity for the creative culture and his experience of working across various sectors across the globe will play a significant role in chartering a stronger growth trajectory for Creativeland.”

     

     

  • Masala Baby was founded in 2010 by Dipali Patwa, who runs an all-woman team

    Ventureland Asia backed startup, Masala Baby makes India foray

    By A Correspondent

     

    New York-based children’s lifestyle startup brand Masala Baby has announced its foray into the Indian market with a special collection of uniquely designed clothes, which will be available on FirstCry-BabyOye.

     

    On launching Masala Baby in India, founder Dipali Patwa said: “India has been our primary market to source all our products and material, and we’re delighted to now offer our products back to the India market. Our aim is to launch a culturally relevant brand for India that understands the nuances of the Indian marketplace with a western bent on styling and is forward thinking to create models that will allow for deeper engagement of the parent community. We eagerly look forward to collaborate with more artisan communities and provide long-term sustainable employment. This is the DNA of our brand- artisanal, sustainable, socially engaged with a give back component.”

     

    On the India launch, Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder, Ventureland Asia, said: “Masala Baby has done exceptionally well in the US with a coveted clientele including many Hollywood celebrities, in a short span of time.  One of the main reasons Ventureland Asia invested in Masala Baby was not just for their unique aesthetics but also because of their core purpose of working with artisans and using the skills of local craftsmen to create their product line, and giving back to the community. We are proud of the team’s achievements and look forward to a great India launch.”

     

     

  • Baaash Digital will be responsible for digital creative output

    Ventureland Asia to enhance online marketing strategy for Pizza Hut in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pizza Hut has brought on board Ventureland Asia to enhance its performance and online marketing strategy in the Indian market. Ventureland Asia will collaborate with Baaash, the digital communication and content division company of the Creativeland Asia Group.

     

    Prashant Gaur

    Commenting on the appointment of Ventureland Asia, Prashant Gaur, Chief Brand Officer, Pizza Hut India said: “We were looking for a partner that could understand our business goals and align the same with our marketing objectives. Going forward we will be keeping a digital-first approach at the centre of our marketing strategy and it was crucial that we find a company that displays the competencies to partner with us. We are excited to have found the right combination of business understanding, digi-tech capabilities, culture and conviction in Ventureland Asia and delighted to appoint them as our performance and digital marketing partner.”

     

    Sajan Raj Kurup

    Added Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder & Chairman, Creativeland Asia Group who set up Ventureland as the investment arm for the group last year: “Ventureland Asia’s Advisory service sits at the cusp of creativity, marketing and business consultancy. Bringing together, diverse skill-sets to create both, brand & financial value to the business of our clients.While marketing consultancy firms today are striving hard to add value by forward integrating to design and creative solution, as seasoned creative solution providers, we have seamlessly reverse integrated the ability to articulate problems and finding innovative business solutions for brands.”

     

    On the recent win, Srijib Mallik, CEO, Ventureland Asia said: “Young India is consuming life in unexpected ways. Our mandate with Pizza Hut is at the cusp of four of these changing consumption vectors because it is food plus lifestyle plus entertainment plus digital. We are excited to partner with this iconic brand and delve into the future of the Indian palate, with customised consumer insights that will end with branding and communication.”

     

     

  • Kurup's venture fund invests 40% stake in New York-based kids clothing label Masala Baby Inc

    Creativeland’s Sajan Raj Kurup launches Ventureland Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairman of Creativeland Asia (CLA), has launched a venture investment firm called Ventureland Asia. The firm has already invested 40 per cent stake in New York-based kids clothing company Masala Baby Inc.

     

    Said Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder, Ventureland Asia and Founder & Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia: “There’s been a huge churn in the business of funding in the last few years. Most PEs, VCs follow a herd mentality. Most businesses that seem to get a good valuation are the ones which have mastered the art of fabricating a good story on paper. There are a whole lot of entrepreneurs who get sacrificed at the altar of this cultural gap between the investors and the investees. The issue is everyone involved seems to be playing a game, existing from round to round basis and not looking at value creation.”

     

    Continuing on the inception of Ventureland Asia, he said: “Ten years back I saw a business gap in the marketing communications business and out of nowhere created the buzziest advertising agency in the country which today is still one of the most sought after name in advertising. Now, I am ready to enter the next level of brand building with a legacy of successful brand launches, brand refreshes and path breaking creative solutions.”

     

    Ventureland Asia has four parts to it:
    · One, Marquee funds which will involve deep engagement with marketing, tech and design support that will look at an exit in 48 to 60 months.

    · Two, Bridge Funds which will focus on market enhancement and carry on from Angel to series A. Looking at an exit in 24 to 30 months.

    · Three, Business Advisory services with Out of the box consulting that include Research, Technology and Finance, and end in Design, Branding and Communication.

    · And four, Incubation to Create own brands and build POC. Focus on adding creativity to existing industries.
    Leading this venture for Kurup is old hand and Chief Operating Officer Srijib Mallik. “Srijib is a mathematician at heart. His instinct for creative solutions and thorough understanding of complex business models makes him the right choice to lead. He has put a great team of financial analysts, fund managers and advisors at Ventureland Asia,” said Kurup.

     

    Added Mallik: “Ventureland Asia is an ideas investment engine where entrepreneurs can unleash the power of their creativity. It is a place designed to be open minded, collaborative, explorative and yet be relentlessly focused on business outcomes. Among other investments, we are extremely proud to announce our first major investment with New York based Masala Baby Inc which is already emerging as Hollywood parent’s new favourite brand. We will aim to support and grow their business exponentially.”

     

    Ventureland Asia will fund, partner and guide the marketing efforts of budding entrepreneurs and businesses to make sure that they capture and create maximum economic value for their ideas. Backed by the cutting edge branding, design and digital capabilities of Creativeland; Ventureland Asia is a platform where entrepreneurs get an opportunity to see their ideas achieve excellence.