Ethmar International Holding (EIH), an Abu Dhabi-based investment holding company, has partnered with Guggenheim Brothers Media (GB Media) to launch a multi-million-dollar global investment fund focused on media, entertainment and the digital creative economy.
The Abu Dhabi-based fund will target early- to growth-stage companies across content creation, creator tools and infrastructure, digital intellectual property, entertainment technologies, fan engagement platforms and next-generation storytelling. The partnership marks a key milestone in the fund’s development and supports its path towards launch by combining EIH’s regional expertise with GB Media’s global investment experience.
Building on the Guggenheim family’s long-standing cultural legacy, the fund aims to back innovative creative businesses while supporting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become a global hub for creative industries and content innovation.
The fund will be led by Dillon Lawson-Johnston and Criswell Fiordalis, who bring over two decades of combined experience in the global media and entertainment industry. Lawson-Johnston, the great-great-grandson of Solomon R. Guggenheim, founder of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, has previously worked with United Talent Agency (UTA), Sugar23, Untitled Entertainment and Anonymous Content. Fiordalis has held senior leadership roles at Lionsgate, MRC, Hello Sunshine and WEBTOON.
An Ethmar International Holding spokesperson said: “Abu Dhabi is globally recognised 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’re able to combine the Guggenheim legacy with EIH’s vision to propel Abu Dhabi’s objectives as a dynamic, future-focused media and creator hub. 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.”
Dillon Lawson-Johnston and Criswell Fiordalis said: “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. EIH brings the scale, ambition, and long-term strategic vision this sector needs, and together we aim to build the destination platform for the world’s emerging creative businesses. Guggenheim Brothers Media will be a place where founders can access the resources, community, and strategic support required to thrive globally.”
The fund is expected to provide creative entrepreneurs with access to capital, strategic guidance and a global platform rooted in Abu Dhabi, positioning the emirate as a key gateway for next-generation creative businesses.
