Singapore’s Aurora Media Sets Up Content Fund
Singapore’s Aurora Media Holdings has set up Aurora Media Capital as a $30 million investment fund.
The fund’s mandate is to “provide financing solutions to content producers through equity involvement, bridge loans, and tailoring specific financing and consulting packages for projects and companies.” Target areas include film, broadcast content, new media technologies and infrastructures in the South East Asia regional and international markets.
The fund will be operated by: Justin Deimen, group managing partner & head, of investments at Aurora Media Holdings; Terence Kong, group managing partner & head, Lifestyle Concepts: and Jeremy Sim, group managing partner and head, special projects, as co-founders of Aurora Media Capital.
Aurora Media Holdings recently participated in the faith-based film “100 Yards.” Co-produced with companies in Singapore, the U.S., and the Philippines, the film is co-directed by the fast-rising Dale Fabrigar (“Area 407”) and Ross Campbell.
“Financing has been raised, and the fund hit $30 million in its first stage. We’re continuing to fund-raise to its optimal level in the next year. Our investment cycle will begin by January 2017,” Deimen told Variety. “(Backers include) financial institutions such as wealth management funds, high net worth individuals, as well as corporate advisory boards.”
The fund is nominally set for a 7-year exit strategy, but is structured to allow a revolving option and a flexibility of how each asset is exploited.
While South East Asia is the fund’s base, investment will not be exclusively in local content. “We’re a global fund that sources for projects worldwide. We’re situated in Singapore with a focus on the geographical Southeast Asia — ASEAN. While our primary focus remains content in all its forms, it also relates to content distribution platforms such as new delivery systems, online channels, streaming, analytics, data compression, and even through smart homes. We’re looking at new technologies of content production as well, from AR and VR and its resulting new distribution modes. The key here is to work with traditional content producers who are looking for new ways to monetize their assets, as well as being in lockstep with innovators who can converge all these elements together,” Deimen said.
“The notion is to bring local and regional content into the international circuit, and eventually bring international players into our market as well. It’s time to bridge the gap. Co-produceability has always been a key consideration for us as producers.”
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