EIF Invests €25 Million in IPR.VC Fund III to Strengthen Europe’s Film and TV Production Sector

EIF Invests €25 Million in IPR.VC Fund III to Strengthen Europe’s Film and TV Production Sector

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Fund (EIF) has committed €25 million to IPR.VC Fund III, a Finnish-based initiative focused on financing high-quality European films and TV series. This investment will help attract further financial backers to the fund, which aims to reach €120 million by its closing in March 2025. The EIF’s backing highlights its ongoing support for Europe’s cultural and creative industries under the InvestEU MediaInvest programme.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 27-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Fund (EIF) has pledged €25 million to IPR.VC Fund III, a Finnish-based investment fund focused on financing European film and TV productions. The commitment is part of EIF’s broader strategy to bolster Europe’s cultural and creative industries, particularly in the audiovisual sector, which is facing market challenges in securing financing.

IPR.VC Fund III is the latest initiative by IPR.VC, an investment firm based in Helsinki with an office in London. Since its establishment in 2015, IPR.VC has become a significant player in the film and TV sector, raising €200 million from Nordic professional investors and financing more than 50 projects. These productions have received recognition at international film festivals and prestigious awards ceremonies worldwide.

The EIF’s investment is intended to help IPR.VC Fund III attract additional financial support, bringing the fund’s target size to €120 million by its closing date in March 2025. With this backing, the fund aims to address the funding gaps that have traditionally hindered the film and TV sector, particularly during the early stages of production. IPR.VC Fund III will offer institutional investors access to media content asset investments via traditional LP/GP fund structures, enabling greater diversification in their portfolios.

EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros highlighted the significance of the EIF’s support: “This investment underscores our commitment to fostering creativity and innovation within Europe’s audiovisual sector. By supporting IPR.VC Fund III, we are helping European producers retain intellectual property rights while ensuring that high-quality content reaches global audiences, thereby strengthening Europe’s cultural industries.”

Tanu-Matti Tuominen, Co-Founder and Head of Investor Relations at IPR.VC, described the EIF’s commitment as a key milestone: “This partnership reinforces the enduring value of premium European film and TV content on the global stage. It illustrates the financial returns and stability that come with diversifying portfolios and tapping into a growing market of audiovisual investments.”

This investment is part of the European Commission’s InvestEU MediaInvest equity investment initiative, which aims to mobilize private investment to the tune of €400 million in Europe’s audiovisual sector by 2027. IPR.VC Fund III, licensed by the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority, is committed to financing a diverse array of audiovisual projects with significant European involvement.

Key features of IPR.VC Fund III include:

• Strategic Focus: The fund targets the production of international films and TV series with a strong European focus, filling the market gap in securing investment for the development and production phases of these projects.
• Innovative Model: IPR.VC Fund III will develop multiple portfolios, or “slates,” in collaboration with strategic partners, including production and distribution companies.
• Support for European Productions: The fund offers additional funding sources beyond traditional avenues, allowing European producers to retain key intellectual property and commercial rights.
• Experienced Management Team: The fund is managed by a team with extensive experience in the media and entertainment sectors, ensuring robust financial oversight and support for production companies.

With this investment, EIF continues to play a crucial role in enhancing the competitiveness, digital independence, and strategic autonomy of the European Union’s cultural and creative sectors.

About the EIF:

The European Investment Fund is part of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group. Its central mission is to support Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by helping them access finance. The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments that specifically target this market segment. In this role, the EIF furthers key European Union policy objectives such as competitiveness and growth, innovation and digitalisation, social impact, skills and human capital and climate action and environmental sustainability.

About the InvestEU programme:

The InvestEU programme provides the EU with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the EU’s policy priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the EU, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

About MediaInvest programme

MediaInvest is a dedicated equity investment instrument financed via Creative Europe resources and designed to foster European audiovisual productions and distribution businesses. MediaInvest aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the audiovisual industries across Europe, by supporting investments totalling €400 million between 2022-2027.

The EIF, with support of the EC, will implement MediaInvest by providing equity investments directly into financial intermediaries (e.g. funds) alongside other investors investing in the same risk class and in market terms. While it addresses financial intermediaries, the ultimate beneficiaries will be audiovisual content production, distribution and videogames companies.

About IPR.VC

Founded in 2014, IPR.VC is an innovative investment firm focused on helping institutional investors capitalise on the rising value of intellectual property (IP) assets in the film and television industry. With over 50 productions financed to date across North America, the UK, and Europe, IPR.VC is dedicated to championing innovative storytelling and nurturing creative collaborations across the global entertainment industry.

Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, with an office in London, IPR.VC has raised €200m across three content funds launched in 2015, 2019, and 2023, with backing from institutional investors, pension funds, family offices, and non-profit organisations.

Following initial success with Nordic scripted projects, including the critically acclaimed Netflix series Bordertown, IPR.VC has broadened its scope in recent years, forming long-term strategic alliances with renowned US and European production companies, such as A24 (The Legend of Ochi, Civil War, Eddington, Mother Mary), XYZ Films (Blackberry, Skywalkers: A Love Story, The Wasp), and leading European studios mk2 Films and Gigglebug Entertainment.

IPR.VC Management is an alternative investment fund manager supervised by the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority.

IPR.VC

Media Contacts:

EIB Group
Kristiina Randmaa
M. +352 4379 72894
e-mail:  k.randmaa@ext.eib.org
Website: www.eif.org — press@eib.org

IPR.VC
Patrick Keegan
M. +44 7990 555305
e-mail patrick@pk-consults.com

SOURCE: European Investment Fund