Venture Capital

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FactoryMade Ventures

FactoryMade Ventures, led by former WME agent John Fogelman, builds and operates businesses in media, hospitality, and food & beverage alongside Hollywood…

FactoryMade Ventures logo

FactoryMade Ventures

We create and incubate businesses in lifestyle, media, and food & beverage space.

General information

Firm type

Venture Capital

Year founded

AUM

Undisclosed

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Santa Monica

Corporate office

Santa Monica, CA, United States

Principals

John Fogelman

CEO

Cristina Magno Patwa

Co-CEO

Michael Francis

Venture Partner

Doug Gardner

CFO

Houman Hasid

Controller

Sector focus

Media & EntertainmentLuxuryReal EstateFood & Beverage

Frequently asked questions

Who runs investment decisions at FactoryMade Ventures?

CEO John Fogelman and Co-CEO Cristina Magno Patwa lead the firm. Fogelman's background as a top agent at William Morris Endeavor — where he oversaw the worldwide Motion Picture and Strategic Planning departments — shapes the firm's approach to identifying ventures. The firm does not publish a formal investment committee roster.

Is FactoryMade structured as a venture capital fund or something else?

It operates as a venture studio rather than a traditional venture capital fund. FactoryMade originates business concepts, recruits celebrity and industry partners, and takes an ownership stake in the resulting companies. Unlike a fund, it does not appear to raise discrete blind-pool investment vehicles; it instead builds and operates portfolio companies directly.

How does FactoryMade source its deals?

Deal flow is generated primarily through the principals' Hollywood networks. John Fogelman spent his prior career representing film directors, actors, and corporate clients such as Hasbro. The firm leverages those relationships to co-create ventures — for example, partnering with Robert Rodriguez to launch El Rey Rebel and with Brad Pitt on the non-alcoholic brand Enroot.

Does the firm manage outside capital or only proprietary capital?

The firm's capital structure is not publicly detailed. FactoryMade's website describes raising over $130 million for El Rey Rebel alongside partners Univision, Miramax, and Netflix. Investments span co-ventures with institutional capital — TPG Growth, for instance, partnered on the P/S LAX private terminal — suggesting a mix of proprietary and external capital, though no open fund vehicle is disclosed.

What investment stages does FactoryMade typically target?

FactoryMade focuses on early-stage venture creation. It builds businesses from the ground up — like El Rey Rebel, a streaming channel, and Enroot, a beverage brand — rather than acquiring mature companies. The Gate 52 venue-acquisition arm is an exception, targeting existing independent promoters for consolidation.

Which sectors does FactoryMade explicitly avoid?

The firm has not published an exclusion list. Its confirmed portfolio clusters in media and entertainment, luxury consumer experiences, real estate services, and food & beverage. There is no disclosed activity in enterprise software, life sciences, fintech, or heavy industry.

Is FactoryMade connected to a larger parent or holding company?

No parent entity is disclosed. FactoryMade Ventures appears to be an independent partnership led by Fogelman and Patwa from Santa Monica. No filings or disclosures indicate an umbrella holding company, and the firm maintains its own distinct website and brand.

Profile maintained by using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.

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