Abu Dhabi investment holding company Ethmar International Holding (EIH) and Guggenheim Brothers Media (GB Media), a private investment firm focused on early- to growth-stage media and entertainment companies, have partnered to launch a multi-million-dollar investment fund based in the emirate with a global focus on media, entertainment, and the digital creative economy.
“Their shared mission is to help advance Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming a global hub for creative industries and next-generation content innovation,” the partners said in a statement. “By offering access to a world-class platform rooted in Abu Dhabi, the fund seeks to provide creative entrepreneurs and their teams with opportunities to thrive on a global stage.”
The exact size of the fund, based in the United Arab Emirates, was not detailed.
Bringing together local expertise and global experience, the fund is also focused on helping GB Media with its goal of “building on the Guggenheim family’s legacy of cultural impact.” The firm was launched in 2024 by Dillon Lawson-Johnston, the great-great-grandson of Solomon R. Guggenheim who founded New York City’s Guggenheim Museum, and Criswell Fiordalis. The two will also lead the new fund.
Lawson-Johnston has industry experience at the likes of agency UTA and Anonymous Content, while Fiordalis has held roles at Lionsgate, MRC, Hello Sunshine, and Webtoon.
Said Ethmar International: “Abu Dhabi is globally recognized as a capital of capital, while also building the foundations of a scalable and globally connected creative economy. It is for this reason that EIH has partnered with Guggenheim Brothers Media, where together we can combine the Guggenheim legacy with EIH’s vision to propel Abu Dhabi’s objectives as a dynamic, future-focused media and creator hub.” It added: “We fully expect that this fund will serve as a catalyst of new opportunities and outcomes that will add significant economic and creative value to Abu Dhabi.”
Said Lawson-Johnston and Fiordalis: “We are thrilled to partner with Ethmar International Holding to advance our shared mission of supporting the early-stage creative companies shaping the future of culture from Abu Dhabi to the world.”
