UAE-headquartered startup IPX has launched what it calls the world’s first centralized marketplace for branded entertainment, connecting brands, creators, producers and distributors through a single data-driven platform — and disrupting a $100 billion global industry that has long run on personal networks and informal deal-making.
What Is IPX?
Founded by industry veterans Anthony Damianakis and Pete Fergusson, IPX is a Dubai-based company building a global marketplace for branded entertainment. The platform connects brands with vetted creators, producers, and distributors to develop premium content and ownable intellectual property across film, television, video, audio, live experiences, gaming, and emerging platforms.
“Branded entertainment is a $100 billion industry with no real infrastructure,” said Anthony Damianakis, Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “Deals happen through personal networks, opportunities are invisible unless you’re in the room, and there’s no efficient way for the right brands to find the right creators. We’re building the global marketplace this industry has needed for years.”
Why the UAE — and Why Now?
IPX has chosen Dubai as its global headquarters, a strategic move that reflects the UAE’s rapid rise as a world-class content and entertainment hub. The company also has deep inroads into Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Agency Network, positioning it at the centre of the region’s booming creative economy.
“The Middle East uniquely combines attractive production incentives, ambitious distribution, a can-do culture, and growing brand investment,” said Pete Fergusson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO.
With Saudi Vision 2030 accelerating entertainment investment in the Kingdom and the UAE doubling down on its Creative Economy Strategy, the timing for a platform like IPX could hardly be better.
Breaking Open a Closed Market
One of IPX’s central arguments is that branded entertainment deals have long been inaccessible to those outside a tight inner circle of industry insiders. The platform aims to change that.
“What exists today is essentially a closed network of silos and who-happens-to-know-who,” said Fergusson. “IPX opens that up — maturing the market by bringing everyone together. We’re making opportunities visible, the process transparent, and giving everyone access to the deals and partnerships that were previously locked behind relationships.”
“Brands want to move beyond interruption marketing into stories they actually own,” said Damianakis. “Branded entertainment has evolved beyond logo placement, but the industry infrastructure hasn’t caught up. We’re solving that disconnect.”
Backed by Senior Industry Leaders
IPX has attracted backing from some well-known names in the global media and advertising world. Toby Hack, former EMEA CEO of PHD Worldwide, serves as Senior Strategic Advisor and chairs the company’s advisory board, bringing over two decades of experience linking global brands with premium content ecosystems across EMEA.
“Branded entertainment has moved from the margins to the mainstream,” said Hack. “What’s been missing is the infrastructure to connect ambition with opportunity. IPX creates a genuine marketplace that allows brands and agencies to see, assess and participate in entertainment IP in a way that simply hasn’t been possible before.”
What’s Next
IPX launches with a live pipeline of projects and early agreements already in place with premium IP owners and major international agencies. The founding team brings over 20 years of combined experience monetising branded entertainment across all major platforms.
For brands operating in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or looking to tap into the Middle East’s growing content market, IPX represents a significant shift in how branded IP is sourced, financed, and brought to market.
More information is available at GoIPX.com.
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