U.K. entertainment financier Goldfinch is making power moves in Southeast Asia’s largest market, inking a landmark joint venture to launch Goldfinch Indonesia. The deal, unveiled in Jakarta, brings heavyweight local players Synco and Goshen Group into the fold as the company aims to transform Indonesia’s creative industries.
The venture, which was officially witnessed by Indonesia’s Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya, signals an ambitious push to position the nation as a key player in the global media landscape. The partnership includes a high-level collaboration with the Ministry of Creative Economy (EKRAF) focused on developing Special Economic Zones into creative industry hubs.
“This partnership is a testament to our commitment to fostering a vibrant creative economy in Indonesia and ensuring that our cultural assets are leveraged for sustainable growth,” Minister Harsya said at the signing ceremony.
Goldfinch COO Phil McKenzie emphasized the company’s alignment with Indonesia’s creative industry ambitions, noting their dedication to helping position the country as “a global leader in the creative industries.”
The venture will roll out its first slate of initiatives in Q2 2025, focusing on debt financing, packaging and sales, and IP development across the entertainment spectrum. A key component includes bringing Goldfinch’s Oscar and BAFTA-winning First Flights program to Indonesia, providing early-stage financing to emerging filmmakers and facilitating international collaborations.
The joint venture partners are betting big on Indonesia’s creative potential. “Together, we can create a thriving ecosystem that not only supports local talents but also attracts international partnerships,” said Rafael Utomo, managing director of Goldfinch Indonesia, in a joint statement with director Meidya.
Goshen Group’s Allen Jordan, who joins as a Director of Goldfinch Indonesia, highlighted the venture’s broader economic implications: “It is a great privilege to be part of the management team and key facilitator to this joint venture supporting the acceleration of creative economy development to become an engine of economic growth for Indonesia and the region.”
The initiative comes as part of Goldfinch’s broader international expansion, which kicked off in 2024 following a strategic merger with Singapore-based Aurora Media Holdings Inc. The company brings significant financial muscle to the table, having closed $250 million across 300 deals over the past decade, maintaining an 11-13% internal rate of return across its institutional lending portfolio, and has produced BFI London Film Festival title “Quant” and Raindance selection “A Bird Flew In.”
Justin Deimen, managing partner at Goldfinch International and executive director of the Intercultural Theatre Institute, said: “We want to underscore the importance of expanding the levels of media literacy and sustainable practices within the varied national creative arts communities, preserving and protecting Indonesia’s remarkable cultural legacy, and developing and positioning its deep creative talent pool for international success through cross-border collaborations and skills exchanges.”
The partnership outlines several key initiatives, including:
- Enhanced tax policies to attract investment through Goldfinch’s financing framework
- Infrastructure development for IP-related projects spanning film, television, advertising, digital media, sports, gaming, Web3, and AI
- Targeted job creation and talent development programs
The move represents Goldfinch’s latest step in its international expansion strategy, with more partnerships across MENA and APAC regions expected to be announced in the coming months.