THE STAKES
Two exits that would define how the market read the fund and the founders.
Seedlip and Mr. Black weren't just portfolio exits. They were signals to founders, co-investors, retailers, and trade press about what DV had been building. Announcement comms would either land them as category-defining outcomes or as ordinary acquihires. Only one version ages well.
Across nine years I led announcement and M&A comms for five DV exits into Diageo — Seedlip and Mr. Black the headline two, with Ritual Zero Proof, Kanosuke, and Belsazar each shaping a different category story.