Wake the Bear Secures Investment and Rebrands as Miroma Founders Network

​The Miroma Group has strengthened its strategic partnership with Founders Forum Group, which has taken a significant stake in Wake The Bear, Miroma Group’s high-growth marketing and media agency. The agency will rebrand as Miroma Founders Network, expanding on the successful joint venture launched by the two groups last year.

The move supercharges Miroma Founders Network’s position as the definitive partner for ambitious growing businesses. The company will offer a comprehensive suite of services, including Brand & Growth Strategy, Communications Planning, Media Planning and Buying, Content & Partnership, and Tech, together with a new AI Consultancy offering.

Wake the Bear, originally launched in 2018 with investment from Miroma Group, has built a strong reputation for working with fast-growing brands such as Stripe, Marshmallow and Simba Sleep. Their services will continue to be specifically tailored to meet the needs of high-growth businesses and delivered in a way that fosters growth resilience and organisational change.

The agency will be powered by Founders Forum Group’s global network of inspiring founders, business leaders and investors, who collectively champion entrepreneurial innovation, as well as Tech Nation, the largest and most promising network of tech scaleups in the country, with 30% of UK unicorns forming its alumni.

Under the new structure, Wake the Bear co-founders Richard Stanton and Toby Strangewood will respectively become chief executive officer and chief strategy officer of Miroma Founders Network, with Ali MacCallum stepping into the role of chief growth officer and Abi Morrish York has been promoted to managing director from her role as director, content and partnerships. Brent Hoberman, and Miroma founder Marc Boyan, are taking positions as executive chairmen.

The move signals Miroma Group and Founders Forum Group’s continued commitment to supporting entrepreneurial growth through world-class expertise, founder-first thinking, and strategic investment in the talent and infrastructure that scaleups need most.

Founders Forum Group is a global community and group of businesses created by Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com and Made.com, that empowers entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys. Included in Founders Forum Group’s network is Tech Nation, the UK’s industry body for scaling tech entrepreneurs, which FFG acquired in 2023.

Miroma Group, founded in 2003 and operating in 13 countries, is a global marketing platform that brings together a dynamic network of award-winning businesses across various marketing disciplines, with a culture built on collaboration and innovation.

Marc Boyan, Miroma founder and CEO, and executive chair of Miroma Founders Network, said, “From day one, Miroma Founders Network has been about enabling the next generation of category-defining businesses. This strategic partnership reinforces Miroma Founders Network’s access to brilliant talent and proven capability, strengthening our position as the most founder-focused growth platform in the market. What’s important for us is to have the capability, tools, and talent to help brands across their life journey from start up to post-IPO.”

Richard Stanton, CEO, Miroma Founders Network, said, “As an agency we have long been helping businesses understand that growth does not come from fearlessness, but from having the confidence and agility to move in the right direction at the right time. Now, as Miroma Founders Network, we are enhancing that offering exponentially, giving our clients the rare opportunity to lean into the expertise of the UK’s largest network of entrepreneurs and innovators – as well as unicorn founders – delivering the confidence that will help businesses face those challenges head on and reap the rewards.”

Carolyn Dawson, Founders Forum Group CEO and Miroma Founders Network co-founder said, "Wake the Bear’s mindset and approach perfectly align with what high-growth tech scaleups actually need to compete in an increasingly competitive brand landscape. The agency’s marketing prowess and proven track record with disruptor brands mean the new Miroma Founders Network will bring best-in-class marketing strategy and media buying to our global founder community."