Investor Overview
Confidential 2026
PROBLEM
From cultural execution to company ownership.
Problem is becoming an operator-led accelerator and holding company. We back founders, brands and IP with capital and the brand, creative, product and launch support they need to grow.
For 15+ years, we have helped bring companies to market across fashion, hospitality, gaming, music and technology. That work built our relationships, commercial judgment and ability to execute.
The next phase pairs execution with ownership.
We are targeting $25M to fund three years of shared operating capacity, strengthen Problem Intelligence and secure selective equity and IP positions.
We intend to own more of the value we help create.
The Accelerator
We select a small number of businesses where our involvement can materially improve the outcome.
Founders get an experienced team from concept through launch and growth.
Problem provides positioning, brand, creative, technology, partnerships and commercialization through one shared operating platform.
We earn service revenue and negotiate equity, IP or revenue participation where long-term contribution creates alignment.
Capital with the people
to put it to work.
What Founders Get
One team from idea to market.
The capabilities behind every company we build, support or invest in:
Strategy
Positioning, founder narrative, customer insight and a commercial plan.
Creative Direction
Brand identity, art direction and the creative system behind the launch.
Media & Content
Launch films, founder content, editorial and ongoing publishing.
Fashion & Retail
Consumer products, collaborations, retail strategy and commerce.
Entertainment & Talent
Artist and creator partnerships, original formats and IP development.
Technology & Product
Digital products, websites, AI workflows and useful internal tools.
Partnerships
The right talent, production, retail and distribution partners.
Commercial Outcomes
A coordinated launch, a direct audience and a clearer path to customers.
Why Now
AI makes products and content faster to produce. Earning trust, reaching the right audience and turning interest into customers still require judgment and execution.
We develop the founder story, brand, launch assets, digital experience and distribution plan together.
Our relationships across creators, brands, retail and entertainment help connect new companies to real audiences.
For a strategic investor, Problem can also extend this operating support across a broader portfolio.
A great product still needs a market.
Storytelling and distribution are part of company building.
The Problem Model
Three connected parts. One platform.
Media delivers the work. Intelligence improves how we operate. Holdings retains the ownership we negotiate.
Problem Media
The revenue and execution business.
Fee-based work and operating support across:
- Define strategy and positioning
- Build creative and content systems
- Execute marketing and distribution
- Structure partnerships and revenue opportunities
- Develop supporting products and infrastructure
Client revenue supports the platform and creates relationships that can lead to ownership opportunities.
Problem Intelligence
The shared software, workflows and institutional knowledge behind the platform.
Used across engagements and ventures for:
- Intake and opportunity evaluation
- Audits and diagnostic frameworks
- Strategic planning and roadmapping
- Execution system design and support
- Resource allocation and team routing
- Decision-making across engagements and initiatives
Each engagement improves our playbooks, resource allocation and next decision.
Problem Holdings
The ownership platform being built around our operating contribution.
Capital and operating support directed toward:
- Selective equity stakes and founder partnerships
- Original IP, products and venture creation
- Acquisitions, joint ventures and follow-on investments
Long-term value comes from the businesses and rights Problem actually owns.
A Track Record of Building
From launch to investment and acquisition.
We helped bring these brands to market and supported their growth. The financing and acquisition milestones are company outcomes, not investment returns earned by Problem.
Aimé Leon Dore
Launch and brand execution for the fashion label. LVMH Luxury Ventures took a minority stake in 2022.
ARRIVE Hotels
Brand and digital execution through the hotel group’s expansion. Its acquisition by Palisociety was announced in 2021.
ASTRO Gaming
Creative, campaigns and go-to-market support in gaming. Logitech acquired ASTRO for $85M in 2017.
For Five Coffee
Brand building and market execution across coffee and hospitality. For Five announced growth investment for national expansion in May 2026.
Across Industries
Our broader work includes Nike, Amazon, Twitch, Discord, Coinbase and Activision Blizzard.
Our Contribution
Built through execution.
Ready for ownership.
How The System Works
From opportunity to ownership.
Evaluate
Problem Intelligence
Assess the founder, customer need, commercial model, ownership available and where our team can improve the outcome.
Launch
Problem Media
Deliver one coordinated launch across brand, product, content, commerce, partnerships and distribution.
Build Value
Problem Holdings
Secure equity, IP or revenue participation through signed agreements. Support growth and review progress before committing more capital.
Every opportunity starts with a clear brief, accountable operator, budget and measurable milestones.
We concentrate resources where our execution can make a meaningful difference.
Investor Case
How value reaches Problem.
Services generate fees and retainers.
Shared systems improve delivery and margins.
Products and IP can generate commerce and licensing revenue.
Contracted equity and revenue rights create participation.
Portfolio distributions and realizations can return capital over time.
Investors back the holding company and its economic interests. Our focus is a profitable operating business alongside a concentrated portfolio of ownership positions.
Year 1
Establish &
Launch
- Finalize the HoldCo structure and ownership rights.
- Build the core team and shared technology.
- Close selected investments against approved budgets.
- Launch initial products and founder campaigns.
- Report cash, revenue, margins and portfolio milestones.
Year 2
Validate &
Grow
- Measure customer demand and repeat revenue.
- Expand the ventures meeting agreed milestones.
- Develop licensing, commerce and distribution.
- Improve delivery margins through shared systems.
- Keep new investment commitments selective.
Year 3
Scale &
Compound
- Concentrate follow-on capital in proven opportunities.
- Increase recurring operating and product revenue.
- Build independent leadership within the portfolio.
- Demonstrate value in contracted ownership positions.
- Plan the next stage from operating evidence.
The First 36 Months After Funding
Platform & Investment Pipeline
System Layer
Problem Intelligence
Shared infrastructure. Research, opportunity evaluation, planning and institutional knowledge.
Nouns
Dizzy Bird
MWA Music
Bigshot Toyworks
PUGS
City Farmers
Operating Layer
Problem Management
Shared operations. Coordination for clients, projects, tasks, communications and delivery.
Creative Layer
Problem Tools
Shared creative tools. Components, interaction patterns and templates for faster development.
A focused slate of existing work, founder-built assets and proposed investments. Capital follows signed ownership terms, diligence and launch milestones.
The Ask
Fund the platform.
Build the portfolio.
We are targeting $25M to fund 36 months of shared operations and technology, selective investments and venture launches, with a dedicated cash reserve.
Illustrative structure: $100M pre-money + $25M new capital = $125M post-money. New investors would own 20% of the fully diluted holding company at that capitalization.
A $5–10M first close can start a narrower initial plan. The full three-year budget assumes the complete $25M round. Capitalization up to $50M remains an expansion option for the right lead investor and opportunity set.
The proposed capital plan
Three years to build.
Capital with a defined job.
Our illustrative $25M plan separates the cost of running the shared platform from capital invested in companies. It budgets 36 months of operating capacity and technology, with investment commitments staged against progress.
Use of capital | Allocation | What it funds |
|---|---|---|
Operating capacity | $9M / 36% | Core operators and creative leadership, delivery partners, business development, finance, reporting, legal, transaction costs and administration across three years. |
Shared technology | $4.5M / 18% | Problem Intelligence, Management and Tools: engineering, AI infrastructure, data, workflow development and maintenance. |
Investments & launches | $8M / 32% | Selective investments, original IP, product launches and commercial development across the six ventures on this page, under agreed budgets and ownership terms. |
Strategic reserve | $3.5M / 14% | Cash retained for contingencies and approved follow-on opportunities. This is separate from the operating and initial investment budgets. |
Total capital | $25M / 100% | 36-month planning period from completion of the full round. |
How the three-year runway works
The $13.5M operating and technology budget equals an average of $375,000 per month for 36 months. The model assumes no service revenue, portfolio distributions, exits or follow-on fundraising to pay those planned costs. Revenue can improve liquidity; it is not required to make this base-case arithmetic work.
Year 1
$9M deployed
$5M shared platform + $4M investments and launches. Planned cash remaining: $16M.
Year 2
$7M deployed
$4.5M shared platform + $2.5M investments and launches. Planned cash remaining: $9M.
Year 3
$5.5M deployed
$4M shared platform + $1.5M investments and launches. Planned cash remaining: $3.5M reserve.
The investment pipeline is Nouns, Dizzy Bird, MWA Music, Bigshot Toyworks, PUGS and City Farmers. Each company or project progresses through an approved plan with clear commercial milestones and documented economic rights. Shared infrastructure is funded first; venture capital is committed selectively as those plans are ready.
We intend to review budgets and commitments quarterly, reporting cash runway, fee revenue, gross margin, launch performance and ownership by company. A venture must demonstrate progress before receiving follow-on capital.
Planning assumptions, not historical burn or a guaranteed runway. The full $25M must be received; spending must stay within the proposed budget. This funds the shared platform and specified venture commitments, not every portfolio company’s entire operating life. At 25% higher platform spending, the $13.5M budget alone lasts approximately 29 months; preserving 36 months would require lower spending or use of the reserve.
What investors would own
The proposed investment is equity in Problem’s parent holding company, with participation in the operating businesses, IP and portfolio interests contributed to it at closing. At $100M pre-money and $25M raised, the illustrative split is 80% existing holders and 20% new investors, assuming no additional option-pool increase or convertible dilution.
The valuation discussion should reflect the operating business, documented technology and IP, and contracted ownership positions. Client valuations, partner brands and the Nouns DAO treasury are not assets owned by Problem. Final valuation, asset contributions, investor rights and capitalization remain subject to diligence and agreement.
Illustrative financing and allocation framework for discussion. Detailed financials, the asset schedule, cap table and company-specific ownership terms should support the final round.
The next chapter
Back the team that
builds the business.
For fifteen years, we have helped companies become brands people care about. Now we are building an accelerator that can invest, execute and stay involved as those businesses grow.
This round gives Problem a three-year plan to turn that experience into a focused portfolio, shared operating infrastructure and meaningful ownership. We are looking for a long-term partner who sees brand, creative work and distribution as part of how enduring companies are built.