WPP Ventures
Profile, fund size and portfolio
WPP Ventures is the corporate venture arm of WPP plc (advertising and communications). It was founded in 2012 and is based in Silicon Valley, United States. It invests from Seed to Series C+ in content, commerce, social media. Status: closed.
Every figure links to its source
Snapshot
Data behind this graphic
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage range | Seed to Series C+ |
| Sectors | Content, Commerce, Social media, Marketing technology |
| Geography | United States, plus other WPP investments in China, Spain and the UK listed in the same release |
| Offices | Silicon Valley, United States |
Sources: S1 WPP: strategic investment in Refinery29 through WPP Ventures (2015-04-28).
Data behind this graphic
The firm has not published a portfolio breakdown.
Sources: .
Where it invests and who leads it
Geography
- Headquarters
- Silicon Valley, United States
- Offices
- Silicon Valley, United States
Investment regionsS1
- United States, plus other WPP investments in China, Spain and the UK listed in the same release
LeadersS1S5S8
- Tom BedecarréPresident of WPP Ventures (April 2015)Find on LinkedInFirm page
- Dave KnoxManaging Director, WPP Ventures (2017, historical; left WPP)Find on LinkedInFirm page
- Mark ReadChief executive of WPP Digital; ran WPP Ventures alongside Bedecarre (2012, historical)Find on LinkedInFirm page
Profile in progress. This firm does not yet meet our publishing minimum: sources, website, launch year, leaders. It is not indexed by search engines until it does.
Key facts
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent company | WPP plc | Single source | S1 |
| Parent industry | Advertising and communications | Single source | S1 |
| Founded | 2012 | Single source | S8 |
| Headquarters | Silicon Valley, United States | Single source | S1 |
| Status | Closed | Single source | S1 |
| Capital source | Parent company only | Single source | S1 |
| Stages | Seed, Series C+ (inferred from announced rounds) | Estimate | S1 |
For founders
Recent rounds
| Date | Company | Round | Amount | Led by the firm | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airpost | Seed | USD 4.1M | S4 |
History
- WPP invests in Refinery29 USD 50M Series D through WPP Ventures, with Scripps Networks Interactive.S1
Portfolio
The firm's portfolio page lists 2 companies: 2 active.S1
Every company on the WPP Ventures list
2 companies, as listed on the firm's own website.S1 Read the firm's list.
- Airpost
- Refinery29
Official pages
Read the firm's own pages for current information.
- Website www.wpp.com/en/news/2015/04/wpp-and-scripps-networks-interactive-partner-in-us50-million-series-d-funding-round
Sources
- S1WPP: strategic investment in Refinery29 through WPP Ventures (2015-04-28)Firm
- S2WPP Annual Report 2025 page (no WPP Ventures mention found in page text)Parent company
- S3WPP Strategy Update and 2025 Preliminary Results (no WPP Ventures mention found)Parent company
- S4Dealroom: Airpost raises USD 4.1M seed (search result; WPP listed among investors)Third-party report
- S5PR Newswire: Rockfish and WPP's Knox (Dave Knox, managing director of WPP Ventures, 2017)Third-party report
- S6WPP release: WPP takes stake in early stage mobile content platform Muzy (2013)Firm
- S7WPP release: strategic investment in Woven Digital in the US (2016)Firm
- S8Global Venturing: WPP creates Ventures unit (2012)Press
- S9Global Venturing: WPP Digital, eyes on the digital age (2013)Press
Disclaimer and corrections
Not affiliated. This page is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by WPP Ventures or any company named on it. Names and trademarks belong to their owners. Informational only. This is a public-source reference. It is not investment, legal or tax advice and not an offer or solicitation. Sources. Each figure names its source. Figures may have changed. Please read the firm's official pages, linked above. Corrections and takedown. To report an error or ask for a change or removal, use the correction form or email Richard@CorporateVentureCapital.com.
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