Spool Marketing and Communications Announces Investment in Silicon Road Ventures $31 Million Fund. Untapping Invaluable Insights for Clients across E-Commerce, CPG and Retail.
Chicago-based full-service public relations and marketing agency, Spool Marketing and Communications, announces agency investment in Silicon Road Ventures’ $31 million fund. The strategic investment will provide Spool with invaluable industry insight and intel that can be utilized across their client roster of leading food, CPG, grocery and cannabis brands.
This investment paves the way for a powerful partnership between Spool and Silicon Road Ventures, an Atlanta-based, venture capital firm focused on building the future of commerce in this next-digital chapter. The Silicon Road Ventures fund is comprised of US-based technology startups ranging from seed to series A across e-commerce, retail and CPG, with the primary focus areas including in-store retail & shopper tech, multi-channel commerce, supply chain & logistics, and fintech & payments. These startups are changing the game of commerce, bringing groundbreaking innovation to the forefront. Spool’s client’s range from startups to major players who live within multiple categories of commerce. With technology innovation leading the charge in the landscape, due to shifting environments and accelerated timelines driven, in part, by the pandemic, this cutting edge insight will help Spool’s clients edge out the competition.
“Our clients are the brands shaping this next generation of how consumers choose, shop and experience brands and foods they’ll serve to their families and this investment in Silicon Road Ventures allows Spool to connect our clients with the technologies shaping this new way of brand experience and engagement,” says Catherine Merritt, CEO and founder of Spool. “When Spool was founded, being an investor was one of the agency’s core objectives and to be able to make it happen so early in the company’s existence is an exciting milestone as Spool continues to see tremendous growth and opportunity. We couldn’t have found a better investment partner than Silicon Road Ventures.”
The investment breaks the traditional agency mold, something Spool has aimed to do from the beginning. Founded in 2018, Spool is a cohort of industry-proven strategists, creatives, brand builders and communicators who aim to do great work and find new ways to get there based on what has and hasn’t worked in other industries. These changemakers make up the building blocks of Spool, an integrated agency with industry leadership and start up hustle.
“We’re thrilled to have Spool as an investor in the fund,” said Ross Kimbel, Silicon Road Ventures Managing Director and Partner. “Their world-class marketing and communications expertise, as well as their network of clients across the e-commerce, CPG and retail space, is invaluable as we look to invest in more companies and grow our portfolio.”
Spool may be a David among agency Goliaths, but it continues to cement its place in the PR industry. As the client roster continues to grow, so does the Spool leadership team with expats who left places such as Edelman and Ketchum, working on brands including Whirlpool and Dove, to join a new type of agency.
Since last fall alone, Spool has added five new senior leadership team members. Katie Kierna came on board as Senior Vice President in June of 2020. With over fifteen years of PR experience, Kierna brings invaluable expertise in creative and strategic management of large-scale consumer brand campaigns. In September 2020, Spool welcomed Austin McClelland, Director, to grow the agency’s media relations practice, tapping into his background in major consumer brand campaigns. This past February, Natalie Blackmond, an influencer-savvy PR pro with several years of agency experience leading CPG, food and pet campaigns, joined the company as a Director. In that same month, fellow Director, Alysa Winkler, came on board, bringing her successful experience leading her public relations and integrated marketing communications. Just this March, Spool also welcomed Joe McQuade to the team as Senior Vice President of Operations and Legal. McQuade joined Spool after having founded, owned and operated an e-commerce business for over 15 years. In addition to the full-time team, Spool has also grown its collection of consults, bringing their current total to 24 strategists, communicators, creatives, and digital experts that provide unparalleled insight for client initiatives.
2021 is off to a rapid start for Spool, having secured 9 new clients since the start of the new year. The current client roster includes: Anycart, Rumi Spice, Coconut Bliss, Egglife Foods, Fluresh Cannabis, Fresh Thyme Market, Fruit-tella, Good Wheat, Guzman y Gomez, Highdive Advertising, Silicon Road, Synergen Health, PRESS Premium Seltzer and The General.
Silicon Road’s current portfolio includes: Perch, Toucan AI, WeStock, SoftWear Automation, Patron, Pull Logic, Turn, SymTrain, Everyware, and Wripple.
About Spool Marketing and Communications
Founded by a cohort of media and agency expats, Spool believes a new agency model is needed for today’s companies and brands. So they set out to build it themselves. A new way forward for clients, brands and marketers alike requires a new way of thinking. Spool offers the full-service experience and years of expertise in media, PR and traditional creative without the overhead cost of a bulky agency. Spool’s headquarters is based in Chicago, Illinois. For more information visit Spoolmarketing.com and follow Spool onLinkedIn and Instagram.
About Silicon Road Ventures
Silicon Road Ventures (SRV) is an Atlanta-based, venture capital firm focused on building the future of commerce. SRV empowers retailers to take charge of their own future through investment in transformational innovation. Silicon Road’s ecosystem approach focuses on relationships and connects entrepreneurs, startups, retailers, enterprise organizations, investors and academics to build the future of global commerce tech across eCommerce, retail and CPG. For more information, visit https://siliconroad.vc and follow Silicon Road on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Contact: Alysa Winkler
alysaw@spoolmarketing.com
