Podium Entertainment Acquired by Flexpoint Ford and Shamrock Capital
CHICAGO & LOS ANGELES — September 21, 2026, Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — All Employees to Benefit with Future Ownership Stakes as Company Expansion Accelerates
Former Spotify Executive David Kaefer to Join Board of Directors
GoldState Music Makes Minority Investment Alongside Flexpoint Ford and Shamrock Capital
Podium Entertainment (“Podium”), a leading independent publisher committed to discovering, developing, and amplifying the works of both emerging and bestselling authors, today announced that it has been acquired by investment firms Flexpoint Ford (“Flexpoint”) and Shamrock Capital (“Shamrock”) from Presidio Investors. GoldState Music (“GoldState”) has made a minority investment alongside Flexpoint and Shamrock.
Since 2019, Podium has built a rapidly growing catalog of more than 15,000 titles, establishing itself as the third-largest audiobook publisher in the world. Podium’s business model has been driven by a consistent focus on supporting emerging storytellers, particularly authors who often begin as self-published, a dynamic part of the industry that is often overlooked by traditional publishers. Drawing on their experience investing in creator-focused intellectual property-driven businesses, Flexpoint and Shamrock have partnered with Podium’s leadership to accelerate growth as the company competes at the highest levels of global publishing.
As part of the transaction, Podium is partnering with Ownership Works, “a nonprofit organization on a mission to increase prosperity through shared ownership at work,” to establish a program giving all employees an ownership stake in the company and aligning the team with Podium’s next phase of growth.
“We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve accomplished to date on behalf of the thousands of authors and voice actors Podium represents, and alongside the tremendous support we received from Presidio Investors since 2019, but this is just the beginning of our story,” said Scott Dickey, CEO of Podium. “Partnering with the Flexpoint, Shamrock and GoldState teams represents an opportunity to rapidly extend our capabilities for the authors and storytellers who trust us every day to deliver their stories and grow their audiences. We firmly believe in Podium’s differentiated author service model, which is built to attract, support, and retain the best storytellers in the world.”
Flexpoint’s investment in Podium builds on the firm’s experience partnering with businesses that provide high-value services to asset owners across financial services and adjacent sectors, extending its experience in music assets and royalties into audiobook publishing.
“What streaming did for independent musicians, digital audio is doing for independent authors,” said Mike Morris, Managing Director at Flexpoint Ford. “Podium has built a differentiated platform around valuable IP, helping authors reach global audiences while retaining ownership of their work. We believe the company is exceptionally well positioned to capitalize on the continued growth of digital audio, and we’re excited to partner with Scott and the entire Podium team to support the next phase of expansion.”
Shamrock’s investment in Podium was made from its flagship private equity fund and builds on the firm’s decades of experience backing growth-oriented businesses across the media, entertainment, communications, sports, content and related sectors.
“Podium’s trajectory speaks for itself: the company has built a leading catalog built alongside authors who understand the power and long-term value of their IP,” said Mike LaSalle, Co-President & Partner at Shamrock Capital. “Shamrock has spent decades partnering with creators and the platforms that serve them, and we see significant opportunity to expand Podium’s reach across formats and international markets on behalf of those authors and the communities of fans they’ve built.”
Charles Goldstuck, Managing Partner at GoldState, added “I had the pleasure of previously partnering with Scott and couldn’t be more excited about backing the team at Podium. We’ve seen firsthand how digital audio can scale when developed under the right production and distribution models. Podium is poised to take full advantage of the changing landscape for audio around the globe.”
Podium was advised by LionTree, with Ballard Spahr serving as legal counsel, FTI Consulting as financial advisor, and MNP and Deloitte as tax advisors. Flexpoint was advised by Lazard and Latham & Watkins. Paul Weiss advised Shamrock. KPMG served as buy-side financial advisor.
About Podium Entertainment
Podium Entertainment is a leading independent publisher committed to discovering, developing, and amplifying the works of both emerging and bestselling authors. Founded in 2019, Podium is now one of the largest audiobook publishers in the world and has produced multiple New York Times, USA Today, and Audible bestsellers. For more information, visit podiumentertainment.com.
About Flexpoint Ford
Flexpoint is a specialist private equity firm focused on financial services and adjacent verticals. Founded in 2005, the firm manages approximately $9 billion in assets and operates as a single, integrated platform investing through two complementary strategies: Private Equity and Asset Opportunities. Over two decades, Flexpoint has completed more than 100 investments, leveraging deep sector expertise and structural flexibility to drive long-term value across a wide range of investment structures and market cycles. Flexpoint is headquartered in Chicago with offices in New York and Miami. For additional information, visit www.flexpointford.com.
About Shamrock Capital
Shamrock Capital Advisors, LLC (“Shamrock Capital”) is a Los Angeles-based investment firm with approximately $7.4 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2026. Shamrock Capital invests exclusively in media, entertainment, communications, and related sectors through a multi-fund strategy centered on private equity investments, as well as ownership and financing of content and media rights. The firm was originally founded in 1978 as the family investment company for the late Roy E. Disney and has since evolved into an institutionally backed firm with a diverse group of investors, including endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth and pension funds. Shamrock Capital partners with strong management teams and takes an active, collaborative approach to creating value in each investment. For more information, visit www.shamrockcap.com.
About GoldState Music
GoldState Music is a private investment firm with a primary focus on the music and media sectors. GoldState invests in music rights, enterprises in need of growth and expansion capital, as well as emerging music technology. The firm was founded in 2022 by Charles Goldstuck, and currently has offices in West Palm Beach, FL. The team consists of experienced industry professionals who are deeply rooted in the music ecosystem. Learn more at goldstate.com.
Media Contacts
For Podium Entertainment:
Daniel Wikey, Director of Partnerships and Publicity
daniel@podiumentertainment.com
(530) 510-5954
For Flexpoint Ford:
Jon Keehner / Kate Kelley
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
FlexpointFord-JF@joelefrank.com
(212) 355-4449
For Shamrock Capital:
Anna Oeser
Prosek Partners
Pro-shamrock@prosek.com
For GoldState Music:
Yonas Aregai
yonas@goldstate.com
Contact Info
Podium Entertainment
daniel@podiumentertainment.com
