Virtue Asia has partnered with Goldfinch International to create a new studio, V47 Entertainment, to 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 incorporate brand partnerships during the development stage. Goldfinch International is responsible for the UK-headquartered Goldfinch Group’s Global South financing and production operations.
The studio’s operations will be involved in multiple areas of the entertainment industry, including music, games, film, television, live events, and digital creator content.
Several projects are already in development ahead of an official announcement scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. The initial lineup includes two documentary series, a live event series, a short microdrama, a competition format, and an animated series.
Looking beyond the initial development cycle, V47 has outlined plans for a branded entertainment investment fund and accelerator program aimed at converting companies’ marketing budgets into entertainment assets with the potential to be distributed across multiple territories.
The company’s name is derived from “Vault47”, with the Vault concept indicating the studio’s focus on intellectual property management, and the number 47 representing the approximate number of countries and territories in Asia in which V47 plans to operate.
“As we look to 2026, the creative industry is being reshaped by a simple truth: culture guides brands,” said Leslie John, CEO of Virtue Asia. “Audiences no longer want brands to interrupt their culture. They want brands to actively contribute to their culture. With V47, we give brands the ability to build distinctive entertainment assets, including the worlds, stories, and cultural experiences that audiences choose to spend their time in. As AI automates the functional layers of marketing, entertainment becomes the next frontier of brand relevance.”
The new entity combines Virtue’s expertise in brand strategy development with Goldfinch’s experience in structuring entertainment financial transactions. By concentrating on the regions of Asia and the Middle East, V47 is betting on a market where cultural exports are gaining global momentum.
“Asia is currently reversing decades of west-to-east cultural trends and shaping what the world wants next, and brands operating here have an unprecedented opportunity to lead global culture from the region,” John said. “V47 enables brands to build the cultural capital that accelerates their impact the fastest.”
This business model represents a departure from traditional product placement deals. Rather than attaching brand messages to completed projects, V47 involves corporate partners during the creative development process.
Phil McKenzie, COO and co-founder of Goldfinch, said this approach allows for more serious integration. “V47 is blending culture, capital and creativity in a way the industry has never seen before. It combines the parts of the market we’re most excited about, the rise of the Global South, new funding models and deeper collaboration with brands,” McKenzie said. “By designing marketing, storytelling and distribution together from day one and working with brands to build content, we generate IP that has built-in scale and monetization, delivering real strategic and commercial benefits for all partners involved.”
Goldfinch International founding partner Justin Damen 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 cultural hubs,” Damen said. “V47 embodies that change. By combining Goldfinch’s financing and production engine with Virtue’s cultural insights and brand relationships, we are building a platform where brands can meaningfully participate in storytelling that speaks, sustains and resonates.”
David Webster is the Chairman of V47 Entertainment. “V47 is built on a simple belief: brands play a much larger role in shaping culture than traditional advertising models allow,” Webster said. “This venture gives brands a seat at the creative table, not just as sponsors, but as partners in the development of films, series, formats and cultural IP. This is a model built for a market that will define what global culture will look like next.”
Virtue Asia is a strategic and creative agency focused on building brands within culture. The company’s roster includes Disney, Google, Spotify, Toyota, Diageo, and Shiseido.
Goldfinch International was founded by Mackenzie, Kirsty Bell, Dymen and Fadi Ismail. This division extends Goldfinch Group’s business model into markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The parent organization has provided a total of $300 million in funding and supported more than 300 film and television projects. According to company statistics, the portfolio maintains a default rate of zero and returns range from 11% to 13%.
In May, Goldfinch International launched a production debt fund that provides financing backed by tax incentives, distribution guarantees and pre-sale agreements. This funding structure allows producers to maintain ownership of their intellectual property while generating profits from revenue streams contracted by the fund.
