Havas has 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 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.
Wilson said: “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 & 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.”
