LOS ANGELES: Global sports, music and culture agency Wasserman has launched a new division – Wasserman Ventures – and named Darren Ross as its EVP & managing director.
Wasserman Ventures will invest in companies, products and markets where the company has working knowledge and experience. Whether in service to Wasserman or its clients across sports, entertainment, music, brands and properties, Wasserman Ventures aims to accelerate existing and new businesses through both capital investment and services.
“Our industry insight and connections, in combination with our world-class talent roster, put Wasserman in the unique position to recognize opportunities across the world of sports, music and entertainment,” said Ross. “As we grow, our platform continues to strengthen in terms of access to data, talent and ideas that we believe will help accelerate the market. We have a long history of being entrepreneurial – with successes including the creation of Hoonigan alongside the late Ken Block – and the launch of Wasserman Ventures formalizes these efforts.”
Wasserman Ventures will partner with Wasserman’s industry-leading roster across sports, entertainment and music talent as well as brands and properties to help accelerate ideas into the market, while further enhancing the company’s suite of services to new and existing clients.
Wasserman Ventures is actively examining current industry themes, including: the rise of new leagues and special events; deepening fan experiences; business optimization through technologies such as AI; data visualization and our proprietary access to data; and microtransactions within the media landscape.
The division’s first investment is the Circuit Racing International Tour, a cycling series founded by professional racer and Wasserman client Justin Williams. With Wasserman’s backing, the tour plans to host three races this year at mainstream sports venues.
