Lord of the Rings Deal
Lord of the Rings Deal
LOTR

CREDIT: THE SAUL ZAENTZ COMPANY

EXCELLENCE
"One Deal to rule them all"
Thomas Dey

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Syco
EXCELLENCE
"ACF's certainly got talent"
Ian Rosenblatt OBE

CREDIT: SYCO ENTERTAINMENT

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Bear Grylls
INTEGRITY
“You only get one chance
at life and you have to
grab it boldly”
Bear Grylls

CREDIT: BEAR GRYLLS VENTURES

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Paddington
INSIGHT
“Success doesn't come
to you, you go to it.”
Marva Collins

CREDIT: PADDINGTON AND COMPANY

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Pilgrim

CREDIT: PILGRIM STUDIOS

INSIGHT
“Success comes to
those who act!”
Henry David Thoreau

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Leftfield
INSIGHT
“The key to success is to
focus on goals not obstacles”
Unknown

CREDIT: LEFTFIELD ENTERTAINMENT

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Plimsoll Productions

CREDIT: PLIMSOLL PRODUCTIONS

INSIGHT
“Success is not final,
failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to
continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Love Productions

CREDIT: LOVE PRODUCTIONS

INTEGRITY
“ When something
is important enough,
you do it even if the odds
are not in your favour”
Elon Musk

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Top Gear
EXCELLENCE
“Success comes to
those who act”
Henry David Thoreau

CREDIT: TOP GEAR

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

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ACF advises Forest Road in its acquisition of ERT Formula E Team


ACF Investment Bank has advised The Forest Road Company (Forest Road), on their 100% acquisition of ERT Formula E Team (“Kiro Race Co”). The team is rebranding as Kiro Race Co and is thrilled to enter Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

This deal supports our growth strategy as a next-generation investment bank advising businesses and individuals across a broad spectrum of sectors including sports entertainment, live events, television, film, brands, gaming, and talent.

With the backing of Forest Road, as well as David Kaplan and Bennett Rosenthal, Co-Founders of Ares Management, Kiro Race Co is well positioned for the long term and will be focused on driving sustained growth. 

The acquisition coincides with Liberty Global purchasing a controlling stake in Formula E, and this new ownership group brings a unique perspective to Formula E, which will leverage its extensive network to attract new partners and increase awareness of electric racing in the U.S.

Kiro Race Co

Kiro Race Co is an independent racing team committed to pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle technology and competition.

The team will be entering Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship and will race under American license while maintaining Silverstone operations.

The company has announced a technical partnership with Porsche Motorsport. This collaboration will see the company equipped with Porsche’s championship-winning powertrain technology.  The Porsche 99X Electric WCG03, featuring upgrades to common components to comply with new GEN3EVO regulations. This partnership ensures access to cutting-edge performance and will be instrumental in Kiro’s ambitions to move up the grid.


Thomas Dey
Thomas Dey
Chief Executive Officer
ACF Investment Bank
Jeremy Tarica
Jeremy Tarica
Managing Director
Forest Road
Mike Fries
Mike Fries
Chief Executive Officer
Liberty Global

“We are excited to announce another deal completed with The Forest Road Company. Formula E is a leading motorsport with cutting-edge technology and performance. With the backing of The Forest Road Company, Kiro Race Co is well positioned for long-term stability and sustained growth. This is a great deal for ACF as it demonstrates our continued growth in an exciting sports arena, while we continue our leadership in content.”

Thomas Dey, Chief Executive Officer, ACF Investment Bank

“We are thrilled to enter The Formula E World Championship and start our journey as Kiro Race Co. The Championship is at a pivotal moment of maturation from a macro and micro perspective. As the world embarks on a massive transition to electric vehicles, the race product has achieved a significant breakthrough in technology with the fastest accelerating single-seater cars. We are committed to helping Kiro become a leading force in the industry.”

Jeremy Tarica, Managing Director, Forest Road

“This investment further validates our decision to acquire a controlling interest in Formula E at this exciting moment for the championship. We are confident that Kiro Race Co, under the leadership of Forest Road, will further strengthen the series and help it to remain the fastest-growing motorsport in the world.”

Mike Fries, Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Global


The Forest Company


The Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, brings a wealth of experience investing, operating, and advising in highly transformative sectors. As opportunistic investors with a proven track record in both media and renewables, Forest Road is well positioned to drive significant value for the team and Formula E.
Forest Road entering Formula E as a team owner, along with Liberty Global’s recent move to become the controlling shareholder in Formula E, reinforces the series’ immense growth potential. Already the world’s fastest growing motorsport, the Championship continues to experience remarkable momentum – global TV viewership jumped 35% in Season 10 alone, and Season 11 will boast the largest calendar to date, featuring 17 races across the globe.


5/5

What People Are Saying

“Since this was our first time working with an investment bank and raising capital for any of our businesses, I wasn’t sure what to expect. ACF has a great reputation and came highly recommended from several people that I hold in high regard. Overall, the experience working with Richard, Milos and Thomas was pure joy. They were the perfect partner for us, as they educated us as we were working through the process, they challenged us to think bigger about the scope and scale of our business, and they aggressively represented our business in the marketplace bringing multiple opportunities to us in a very challenging economic time. The partnership and guidance they provided was essential and they were extremely easy to work with. I only hope this is the first of many deals that we are able to execute together.”

Shawn Gee
Two One Five Entertainment

"ACF’s certainly got talent. Their team, led by the ever-tenacious Thomas Dey, delivered on their promises and introduced the perfect partners to achieve our goals."

Ian Rosenblatt OBE, Director
Syco Entertainment

"Given the complexities and importance of the rights at stake in our transaction, we interviewed several investment bank candidates at length before retaining ACF to guide our process.  We could not have chosen better!  ACF personnel were dedicated, creative, practical, responsive and deeply knowledgeable about the intricacies of the sales process. Over the months involved, Thomas, Richard, Tatiana and the rest of the ACF staff met with and worked skillfully and credibly with scores of potential buyers and with our own employees leading ultimately to a high value and very fair outcome benefitting both our company and the buyer. They have our deep respect and gratitude for a job so well accomplished"

Marty Glick, COO
The Saul Zaentz Company

“At this stage of 72’s development, there are great advantages and opportunities of joining forces with Fremantle. Their extensive international infrastructure and expertise will provide 72 Films with the platform to have our work seen across the world. We know and like their excellent team. And they offer us not only fantastic support but complete creative freedom so we can continue to work in the same way.

It’s been a real pleasure working with Thomas Dey and the whole team at ACF. They are brilliant at what they do. And alongside Matisse it’s been an incredible team behind this deal.”

Mark Raphael, David Glover, Founders and Chief Executive Officers
72 Films

“This exciting new deal between Broke and Bones and Netflix marks an exciting period of content creation, demonstrating the strong relationship between market leading creatives and the streaming platforms. ACF brokered the deal using our strong track record, experience and access in the UK and USA scripted markets. Premium content continues to lead the market with strong deals that ACF have closed including advising Mammoth Screen on sale to ITV, Neal Street to All3Media, Left Bank Pictures to Sony, Thinkfactory to ITV, Paddington Bear to Studio Canal, New Pictures to All3Media, and Carnival Pictures to NBC Universal.”

Thomas Dey, CEO
ACF Investment Bank

"It has been an incredible journey for Delbert and I to get to the stage where we can build out our adventure shows under our own Studio. We stand on the shoulders of many giants, the ACF team have been incredible guides through the process - at its heart this is about building the ultimate home of adventure programming worldwide."

Bear Grylls & Delbert Shoopman
The Natural Studios

"Critical Content has been a leading player in the unscripted space for the last decade, led by a first class team. Media continues to dominate the deal landscape, with content leading the pack. What a great start to 2022! Congratulations to the whole team."

Thomas Dey, CEO
ACF Investment Bank

"Boardwalk Pictures are one of the preeminent producers of premium content and this partnership with Shamrock secures Boardwalks positioning as a leading player in this market. Shamrock’s deep understanding and experience in the content space makes them great partners for Andrew and the team at Boardwalk. I look forward to seeing the growth and future success of this partnership."

RIchard Gray, Managing Director
ACF Investment Bank