Katzenberg raises $600m for new firm

Former DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has raised almost US$600m for his next venture, which will be named WndrCo.

Jeffrey Katzenberg

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in the US, Katzenberg has attracted US$591.5m of investment to launch the new company.

Katzenberg is listed as an executive officer and director of LA-based WndrCo, alongside former DreamWorks Animation president Ann Daly and former Dropbox chief financial officer Sujay Jaswa.

The names of the 18 investors were not disclosed, but the minimum amount each could put in is listed as US$25m. The company will back digital and technology ventures, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Katzenberg became chairman of DreamWorks New Media last year after selling the animation studio behind hits such as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda to Comcast-owned media giant NBCUniversal for US$3.8bn in April.

The role sees the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios oversee DreamWorks’ digital assets, which include youth-skewing producer and online network AwesomenessTV.