Seasoned consumer brand and media industry heads are teaming to launch The-Wolfpack, a new venture firm focused on helping early-stage Asia Pacific (APAC) start-ups reach customers with smarter media and experience-first strategies.
“Most VCs will tell you to focus on one thing and do that really well but we’ve built enough major consumer brands to know that’s not enough to succeed in complex markets across APAC. Products and services need to deliver experiences, inspire community advocates and create media ecosystems. That’s why we’ve launched The-Wolfpack – to help start-up founders close this critical gap,” said Toh Jin Wei, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The-Wolfpack.
The firm is led by three strategic Co-Founders and Managing Partners. This includes Toh Jin Wei and Simon Nichols who previously held senior appointments at companies like WPP group’s GroupM and IMG, to build consumer and media brands. As well as Tan Kok Chin who brings almost 20 years of placemaking and experiential design expertise to the team having worked on major projects with the likes of Capitaland, Raffles Hotel, Marina Bay Sands, Jewel and more. The-Wolfpack’s fully subscribed debut fund, ‘The Wolfpack Pioneer VCC’, will focus on early-stage investments in the direct-to-consumer sector. The team is now in a stage of deployment with an eye on 8-10 companies.
Leveraging on the team’s hub in Singapore, The-Wolfpack aims to be the venture partner of choice for start-ups in the consumer goods, leisure and media sectors, who need strategic capital to drive growth in nuanced markets across Southeast Asia and Australia.
The-Wolfpack is already looking to raise a second fund targeted at S$20 million and above and has its eye on a Thailand expansion. The team is identifying opportunities to bring their portfolio into the market and invest in early-stage companies there.
“Tackling this region is no easy feat for direct-to-consumer companies, which is why The-Wolfpack has so much value to bring. You need a 360 approach to win over individual markets here – this means having a sound rollout strategy that captures local nuances and access to the right media, events, digital and placemaking partners is critical,” said Vit Suthithavil (Song), Managing Director of Panther Entertainment (a TRUE Corporation Company), President of Brite Panther (a CP Group Company) and The-Wolfpack’s Strategic Thailand Advisor.
“The-Wolfpack is the missing piece direct-to-consumer startups need. Having worked closely with Jin Wei and Simon over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how their sharp on-the-ground insights and local connections with decision-makers can pivot companies to new heights,” said Glenn Sugita, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Northstar Advisors and Mentor to The-Wolfpack.
The team will work closely with founders to scale strategically with impact by leveraging on their industry network with key C-suite decision-makers in the region. Investments are made with portfolio synergy in mind to give companies opportunities to collaborate and cross-sell with others.
The-Wolfpack’s portfolio companies will also be invited to a quarterly Founder Growth session where they will have the opportunity for knowledge-sharing and gain insights from corporate partners and industry leaders.
“We’re in this for the long-haul with our founders and plan to grow The-Wolfpack to support their journey. Our portfolio companies will know that our rolodex will never be closed to them,” said Simon Nichols, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The-Wolfpack.
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