Open to Ideas backs British based businesses across the creative industries

What we are looking for

Open to Ideas has been set up to back creative British based businesses across consumer goods, retail and sports.

Unlike conventional private equity or venture capital operators, we have a buy and hold expectation. We want to partner with founders and management teams to grow and develop their brand, business and operations.

We invest primarily via equity. This means we don’t load up your business with high levels of debt, and risk the future of your business.

We are a great option for founders looking to exit who have a second tier with strong potential, or who want strategic support for their next stage of growth. We support existing teams, we don’t step in and run the business.

Would my business be of interest?

We have a very short checklist

 - Creative business in sports, retail or consumer
- A founder who wants to stay on, or..
- …a strong senior management team in place
- Less than £1m EBITDA 
- UK based  - but we love an international sales presence!

Open for Business sign in UK Regency Town Centre

Smiling Female Owner Of Small Business Turning Round Open Sign In Shop Window

Beyond the Numbers

Our investors and management team all come from a state school background.  Through hard work and luck we have built successful careers.  We know that isn’t the case for many others in the UK, and we are motivated to create meaningful employment, training and career opportunities, especially for those who come from less privileged backgrounds.

Meet The Team

Slide 1 of 2

Rob Ward is a senior leader of people businesses, both as a leader and an investor. His career has been broadly in three parts; the first decade in technology and systems implementation in heavy industry, the second decade as a leader of FMCG brands at Diageo, and the last decade leading Once Upon a Time, a mid-sized marketing services business where he oversaw 9 M&A transactions.

Kieran Donovan has 30 years industry experience across retail, supply chain and manufacturing including names like Marks & Spencer, Mountain Warehouse and The White Company, as well as Heroes, a $250m venture capital backed e-commerce roll up that bought over 30 different brands in 2.5 years.. In addition to his role at Open to Ideas, he is an investor in SME manufacturing businesses in the UK through 3 M&A deals.

Rob Ward is a senior leader of people businesses, both as a leader and an investor. His career has been broadly in three parts; the first decade in technology and systems implementation in heavy industry, the second decade as a leader of FMCG brands at Diageo, and the last decade leading Once Upon a Time, a mid-sized marketing services business where he oversaw 9 M&A transactions.

Kieran Donovan has 30 years industry experience across retail, supply chain and manufacturing including names like Marks & Spencer, Mountain Warehouse and The White Company, as well as Heroes, a $250m venture capital backed e-commerce roll up that bought over 30 different brands in 2.5 years.. In addition to his role at Open to Ideas, he is an investor in SME manufacturing businesses in the UK through 3 M&A deals.

Rob Ward is a senior leader of people businesses, both as a leader and an investor. His career has been broadly in three parts; the first decade in technology and systems implementation in heavy industry, the second decade as a leader of FMCG brands at Diageo, and the last decade leading Once Upon a Time, a mid-sized marketing services business where he oversaw 9 M&A transactions.

Kieran Donovan has 30 years industry experience across retail, supply chain and manufacturing including names like Marks & Spencer, Mountain Warehouse and The White Company, as well as Heroes, a $250m venture capital backed e-commerce roll up that bought over 30 different brands in 2.5 years.. In addition to his role at Open to Ideas, he is an investor in SME manufacturing businesses in the UK through 3 M&A deals.