Virtue Asia has partnered with Goldfinch International to establish V47 Entertainment, a new studio that will create branded entertainment content for distribution across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
The Singapore-based studio plans to develop feature films, television series, short-form digital content and other entertainment formats that integrate brand partnerships at the development stage. Goldfinch International handles the financing and production operations for Goldfinch Group, which is headquartered in the U.K.
The studio’s operations will touch multiple sectors of the entertainment industry, including music, gaming, film, television, live events and digital creator content.
Several projects are already moving through development ahead of a formal slate announcement planned for the first quarter of 2026. The initial lineup encompasses two documentary series, a live event series, a short-form microdrama, a competition format and an animated series.
Looking beyond its first development cycle, V47 has outlined plans for a branded entertainment investment fund and an accelerator program designed to convert corporate marketing budgets into entertainment assets with multi-territory distribution potential.
The company name derives from “Vault47,” with the vault concept signaling the studio’s focus on intellectual property management and the number 47 referencing the approximate count of Asian countries and territories where V47 intends to operate.
“As we look into 2026, the creative industry is being reshaped by a simple truth: culture leads brands,” said Lesley John, CEO of Virtue Asia. “Audiences no longer want brands to interrupt culture, they want them to actively contribute to it. With V47, we’re giving brands the ability to build signature entertainment properties – worlds, stories, and cultural experiences that audiences choose to spend time with. As AI automates the functional layers of marketing, entertainment becomes the next frontier for brand relevance.”
The new entity combines Virtue’s expertise in developing brand strategies with Goldfinch’s experience structuring entertainment financing deals. By concentrating on Asian and Middle Eastern territories, V47 is betting on markets where cultural exports are gaining global traction.
“Asia is now shaping what the world wants next, reversing decades of west-to-east cultural flow, and brands operating here have an unprecedented opportunity to lead global culture from this region,” John said. “V47 allows brands to build cultural capital where influence is accelerating the fastest.”
The business model represents a departure from conventional product placement deals. Instead of attaching brand messaging to completed projects, V47 will involve corporate partners during the creative development process.
Phil McKenzie, COO and co-founder of Goldfinch, said the approach creates more authentic integration. “V47 blends culture, capital and creativity in a way the industry hasn’t seen. It combines the parts of the market we’re most excited about, the rise of the Global South, new financing models, and deeper collaboration with brands,” said McKenzie. “By engineering marketing, storytelling and distribution together from day one, and building content hand-in-glove with brands, we’re generating IP with scale and monetization baked in, creating real strategic and commercial upside for every partner involved.”
Justin Deimen, founding partner at Goldfinch International, positioned the venture as part of a broader industry evolution. “Goldfinch has long believed that the next generation of global entertainment will be driven by new partnership models and new centres of cultural gravity,” said Deimen. “V47 embodies that shift. By combining Goldfinch’s financing and production engine with Virtue’s cultural insights and brand relationships, we’re creating a platform where brands can participate meaningfully in storytelling that travels, endures, and resonates.”
David Webster serves as chair of V47 Entertainment. “V47 is built on a simple conviction: brands have a far bigger role to play in shaping culture than the traditional advertising model allows,” Webster said. “This venture gives brands a seat at the creative table, not as sponsors, but as partners in the development of film, series, formats, and cultural IP. It’s a model built for the markets defining what global culture will look like next.”
Virtue Asia operates as a creative agency that connects corporate clients with cultural properties. The firm’s roster includes Disney, Google, Spotify, Toyota, Diageo and Shiseido. Its services center on integrating brands into music, gaming and film projects.
Goldfinch International was founded by McKenzie, Kirsty Bell, Deimen and Fadi Ismail. The division extends Goldfinch Group’s business model into Asian, Middle Eastern and African markets. The parent organization has backed more than 300 film and television projects with $300 million in total financing. According to company figures, the portfolio has maintained a zero default rate with returns ranging from 11% to 13%.
In May, Goldfinch International launched a production debt fund that lends against tax incentives, distribution guarantees and pre-sale agreements. The financing structure allows producers to maintain ownership of their intellectual property while the fund generates returns from contracted revenue streams.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com ’
