NIELSEN INNOVATE BRINGS ON ADDITIONAL INVESTORS
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Nielsen Innovate has attracted two new investors that will continue to strengthen the incubator’s financial resources and foreign access for Israeli entrepreneurs.
The two new investors, R&R Venture Partners and Fred Langhammer, have become part-owners of the fund, and joined the majority investor and primary strategic sponsor, The Nielsen Company, and Partam Hightech, the founding partner.
R&R Venture Partners is the investment vehicle of Ronald S. Lauder and Richard D. Parsons.
Mr. Lauder is an active investor globally at all stages of corporate development, and he has been an enthusiastic backer of Israeli entrepreneurs for decades.
Mr. Parsons is one of the world’s most renowned and respected corporate leaders. Among his more prominent roles, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Time Warner, one of the largest media powerhouses in the world. He now sits on numerous boards including Estée Lauder.
Fred Langhammer is a top global executive who has held various roles at Estée Lauder including Chief Executive Officer, and he currently sits on the Board of Directors of The Disney Company.
Itzhak Fisher, Executive Vice President of Global Business Development and a majority owner of Nielsen and a member of the board of Nielsen Innovate said, “We are delighted that these top investors have joined us. Their involvement demonstrates support for our thesis at the highest levels of corporate leadership. With their support, we will continue to nurture new businesses with a focus on marketing, consumer and advertising research technologies.”
“The involvement of these new investors will provide a tremendous boost to our portfolio companies,” said Esther Barak Landes, Chief Executive Officer of Nielsen Innovate. “We have already generated huge wins for our incubator companies through Nielsen’s support. With new investors of this caliber, it will continue to enhance the attractiveness of our platform and our ability to not only mentor entrepreneurs but also to quickly get their ideas in front of top global executives.”