Finland-based fund management company IPR.VC Management has completed the first closing of its largest film and television production financing fund to date (IPR.VC Fund III), and has appointed entertainment financier Andrea Scarso as Partner and Investment Director.
Established and headquartered in Finland since 2015, IPR.VC has to date raised €150 million ($164M) from institutional investors, pension funds, family offices and the non-profit sector through three content funds. More than half of the capital has already been allocated against film and TV projects in Europe and the U.S.
The company has moved from an initial phase of investment in Nordic scripted projects including Netflix’s Bordertown, to establishing strategic long-term slate-wide partnerships with U.S. and European producers including A24 and XYZ Films and European animation studio Gigglebug. In total to date, IPR.VC has financed 35 productions.
IPR.VC Fund III is the company’s most ambitious to date. With the majority of the targeted €100M ($109M) secured, investments are already underway with IPR.VC continuing to target slate-wide content collaborations by company.
Scarso will be based in the firm’s London office. The exec has over 15 years of experience in media and entertainment financing, including the sourcing and evaluating of projects, running of commercial negotiations and managing of all aspects of film and TV projects’ production and exploitation.
Most recently, Scarso served as Senior Investment Director at Ingenious Media, where he represented the company in deals for studio and independent projects including Oscar-winning features Judy, Selma and The Descendants; Oscar-nominated titles 127 Hours, Carol and Brooklyn; as well as Life of Pi and five films in the X-Men franchise. To date, Scarso has been involved in over 250 film and television financing deals and is credited as Executive Producer on over 45 projects, including recent indies The Duke, The Lost King, Emily and Oliver Stone’s docuseries JFK: Destiny Betrayed.
Timo Argillander, IPR.VC co-Founder and Managing Partner said, “Whilst industry models may change, we believe strongly in the enduring value of premium film and television content, in being a supportive partner for creatives and a trusted conduit to production for blue chip investors. With our most ambitious fund to date, and one of the most experienced, respected and connected entertainment financiers in the business in Andrea joining the team, we could not be better placed to further evolve our investment strategy, and identify further projects and long-term slate-led partnerships that deliver for all parties.”
Added Scarso, “I am thrilled to have the incredible opportunity to join IPR.VC and be part of this exceptional team. In recent years, IPR.VC has become a major player in the industry, building successful relationships with big names, injecting much-needed capital into the market and fueling the creation of many film and TV projects. I look forward to working with Timo and the rest of the team to help shape the company’s future strategy, forge new long-term partnerships and keep the growth story going.”