Havas has today launched Havas Ventures, a
corporate venture arm in Australia providing strategic and technological
expertise to emerging, early stage growth ventures who will directly
benefit from marketing and communications to further fuel their growth.
Eddie
Wilson (left) is the founder and executive director of Havas Ventures
and will lead the division from Havas' Melbourne office, reporting into
Havas Australia Group's executive management team.
Wilson, who
hails from a Venture Capital and entrepreneur background, is tasked with
seeking high potential Series A brand partners, classed as having been
through at least one round of significant venture capital funding. Havas
Ventures will identify and target the businesses it believes Havas can
greatly assist through its breadth of disciplines and expertise to
become more ingrained in a business's success.
Says Wilson: "Some nine out of ten new ventures fail. We also know that
considered marketing is so often the key differentiator between success
or failure of a business. After two years in the making, I'm thrilled to
finally announce to the market that we have an offering that will help
close this gap in a meaningful and productive way."
Havas
Ventures offers four distinct service lines, including strategic
consultancy, marketing and communications, capital investment and global
network access for early stage growth ventures in Australia. With no
other advertising agency or Venture Capital firm offering this four
pillared strategy, Havas Ventures will act as a marketing enabler and
potential investor for SMEs.
Havas Australia's executive
management team Anthony Gregorio, Mike Wilson and James Wright are
excited by the potential of Havas Ventures in Australia.
In a
joint statement, they said: "Eddie's drive and ambition, coupled with
the unique innovative approach of Havas Ventures, underlines our
approach to drive a differentiated agency group which maximises the full
breadth of our disciplines under one roof. Havas Ventures demonstrates
our commitment to innovation and emerging businesses, those who we hope
to support on their journey to success."