A venture studio works with companies from the ideation phase and all along their growth journey. Unlike accelerators, venture studios tend to be more hands-on and have more significant stake in the companies they support, via ownership or otherwise. Unlike VC firms, venture studios get involved at the ground floor, often co-founding ventures with the entrepreneurs they support. Wigmore Foundry applies the venture studio model a bit more broadly by deploying advisory services to support companies at all stages of development so long as their vision and mission is strongly aligned with the Wigmore Foundry strategy.

At Wigmore Foundry, we don’t rigidly adhere to a checklist or a predetermined framework; instead, we prefer to be flexible in our approach and support companies in the areas of greatest need or priority. We apply our expertise and resources to advise and support companies as integral members of their management team through a highly hands-on model that prioritizes one-on-one meetings, working sessions, and deliverables over group gatherings and convenings. We have the pedigree, but we wear it with deep humility because we know that success is as much about the qualifications as it is about passion and hard work. We are founder-friendly and prioritize the best interests of the companies we support and their teams. Please also see the How We Work section.

Yes, in addition to a small equity stake in the venture, we charge limited annual cash fees primarily to cover our operating expenses. We advise the companies we work with to be financially self-sustaining as early as possible, and we practice what we preach. We don’t subsidize our model from other sources because we want to protect the clarity of our mission and vision.

Not yet, but we do plan to raise a fund in the near future, and our current advisory model is designed to create a pipeline of companies we know well and view as high-potential candidates for inclusion in the fund. Our high performing advisory clients would have early access to our capital pool, assuming a strong working relationship and alignment of objectives, as well as other investment requirements.

While we focus on addressing important challenges and opportunities that musicians and other creatives face today, we do not work directly with individual artists on creative projects. However, we are well-positioned to advise early-stage ventures founded by creatives. In other words, while we are closely connected to the world of creative expression, our goal is to drive innovation at scale by supporting companies that are pursuing industry-wide solutions.

We firmly believe that Nashville will be a major innovation hub over the next several decades and that we are in the sweet spot of this ascent, capturing Music City’s creative sensibility as well as its growing business and investment ambitions. We are excited to be a part of Nashville’s innovation story, and we maintain active dialogue with various local stakeholders. But our mission certainly isn’t limited to Nashville. We work with the highest-potential companies, regardless of their location.

Wigmore Foundry is highly selective and prioritizes companies that are directly aligned with our strategy and focus areas. Because of the inherent cultural vibrancy and strategic alignment of Music City, we love working with high-potential local companies that are a strong fit. We believe that our offering complements some of the local Nashville programs, while delivering its own differentiated value proposition, structure, and process.

The best way to connect with us is by filling out the contact form here. We look forward to hearing from you!

Yes, we would love to hear from anyone who is exploring new ideas or starting a business at the intersection of culture and innovation. Please just give us a bit of time to review and consider your inquiry upon submission, and we will get in touch with you as soon as we can.

Yes, we are always happy to meet with talented candidates and explore possible pathways for them to get involved. If you are passionate about our mission, and approach your work with curiosity, kindness, diligence, and a sense of humor, we’d love to hear from you!