Mailman Group establishes venture fund to break startups out of the box

While mail carriers in the West are delivering holiday presents, mail carriers in the East are setting up a startup fund.

Mailman is a social media and digital advertising company based in China. Companies and their brands use its services to “engage and embrace” social media technology in order to strengthen their relationships with customers.

Now, Mailman Group is rolling up its sleeves and getting more involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by forming a start up fund. This $1 million pool will be used to make small investments- between $100K and $150K- over the next three years. The ultimate goal is to build a portfolio of 10 companies. As a seed investor, Mailman will pass along the wisdom of its experience and its extensive network to young companies that are trying to expand.

“We’ve been involved with over 15 online ventures with multinational brands, private equity firms and incubated several initiatives,” said CEO Andrew Collins. “We’ve successfully launched and sold online businesses in China within a short time frame which has given us a unique blend of hands on experience.  We’re moving away from taking large client work on and looking to use our skills to drive entrepreneurship for a greater return on time and investment.We see the brand of Mailman in innovation, pushing boundaries, passion and a willingness to take big steps forward to rub off on our backed ventures and we expect to attract those types of entrepreneurs.”

For the past 13 years, Mailman was first and foremost a digital marketing agency. It worked with clients around the world, such as American Airlines and English football (soccer) clubs, and it recently launched Fanstang, a platform that connects international celebrities to their Chinese fan base.

Asia is becoming hotbed for startups as venture groups like SingTel Innov8, Golden Gate Ventures, and Jungle Ventures lay their roots in the region and Western firms send their glances (and dollars) to the East. However, the investor infrastructure still has a long way to go and many entrepreneurs struggle to find the seed or angel funding they need to then attract the attention of larger investment entities. Mailman seeks to address this gap with money, expertise, and its professed connection to Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg — known supporters of technology innovation.