Merchantwise

What Merchantwise does

Merchantwise is a full-service brand licensing and merchandising agency founded in 1999 and headquartered in Melbourne (St Kilda), Australia, with additional offices in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and The Hague (Netherlands). The firm operates as Merchantwise Pty Ltd within the Merchantwise Group Pty Ltd holding structure, alongside group entities Asembl, Threescoops, and RQmedia. Merchantwise exclusively represents a portfolio of more than 100 global brands across five vertical categories: gaming (Microsoft Studios, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, SEGA, Bandai Namco, Mob Entertainment, Devolver Digital, and franchises such as Minecraft, Call of Duty, DOOM, Sonic, Fallout, Overwatch, Diablo, Halo); kids entertainment (Hasbro brands including Peppa Pig, Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, My Little Pony, Nerf, Monopoly, Play-Doh, plus Aardman); film and TV (Sony Pictures, Legendary Entertainment, Cobra Kai, Ghostbusters, Dune, Godzilla); icons and legends (Australian Olympic Committee, May Gibbs, Astro Boy, Rainbow Brite); and music (AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, My Chemical Romance, Ed Sheeran and others, via partners such as FutureShirts, Perryscope, Manhead, Easypartners, Ceremony of Roses, and WMX).

The company operates a B2B licensing agency model: it secures mandates from IP owners on an exclusive territorial basis and then brokers deals between those brand owners and downstream retail and manufacturing licensees, providing a full-service suite that includes brand and consumer insights, licensing strategy, partnership management, creative product development and approvals, trade and retail marketing, royalty forecasting and administration, trademark registration and enforcement, and contracts and compliance. Geographically, the firm covers Australia and New Zealand as its core market and has expanded into EMEA, LATAM, North Asia, and broader Asia Pacific, with regional Managing Directors overseeing each cluster.

Merchantwise earns revenue through agency commissions and fees on the licensing deals it brokers; the firm does not publicly disclose its fee structure or revenue. Notable retail and licensee partners across its categories include Woolworths, BIG W, EB Games, Smiggle, Peter Alexander, Culture Kings, BlackMilk, Cottton On, Kip & Co, Supercheap Auto, McDonald's Australia, and Aftershock PC, with active product programs spanning apparel, collectibles, stationery, toys, homewares, food and beverage, and consumer electronics (including the world's first officially licensed Minecraft gaming PC). The group employs more than 70 licensing, marketing, and creative professionals across its entities.

Name

Merchantwise

Legal name

Merchantwise Pty Ltd

Website

https://merchantwise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Merchantwise is a full-service brand licensing and merchandising agency representing 100+ global gaming, entertainment, film & TV, music, and lifestyle brands. Operating across ANZ, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, it brokers licensing partnerships between IP owners and retail and manufacturing partners, earning agency fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Licensing & Merchandising Agency Services

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchandising, Character & Brand Licensing (MPADALAF)

Keywords

• Brand licensing agency
• Merchandising services
• Entertainment IP representation
• Gaming brand licensing
• Consumer products licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Prahran

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Merchandising Agency Fees: Merchantwise earns agency fees by representing global brand owners (Hasbro, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Sony Pictures, etc.) in licensing and merchandising deals across Australia, New Zealand, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. They develop and manage brand extensions, retail programs, and consumer products, earning commissions or fees from brand owners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Merchantwise is a brand licensing and merchandising agency that represents global entertainment, gaming, film & TV, music, and lifestyle IP owners, brokering licensed partnerships with retail and manufacturing partners across Australia, New Zealand, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. The firm earns agency fees by developing and managing brand extensions, retail programs, and consumer products for brand owners such as Hasbro, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Bethesda, Sony Pictures, and others. Services span the full licensing lifecycle from brand strategy and creative development to royalty administration and trademark enforcement.

Product overview

Merchantwise Licensing operates as a full-service brand licensing and merchandising agency, not a unified software product. The company represents an extensive portfolio of global brands across five core categories: Gaming (Microsoft Studios, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, SEGA, Bandai Namco, and franchises like Minecraft, Call of Duty, DOOM, Sonic, Fallout), Kids Entertainment (Hasbro brands including Peppa Pig, Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, My Little Pony, Nerf), Film & TV (Sony Pictures, Aardman, Legendary Entertainment), Icons & Legends (AC/DC, Australian Olympic Committee, May Gibbs), and Music (various artists via partnerships with FutureShirts, Perryscope, Manhead). Services include brand strategy, retail partnerships, creative development, royalty administration, and trademark enforcement. The agency also develops proprietary retail campaigns and collectible programs such as Minecraft Cubeez and Minecraft Quest AR experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merchantwise Licensing Agency Services Full-service brand licensing and merchandising agency representing world-renowned brands across gaming, children's entertainment, film & TV, music, and icons & legends for merchandise, consumer goods, promotions, digital and live entertainment in Australia, New Zealand, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
• End-to-End Licensing Services Full spectrum of licensing services including brand and consumer insights, licensing and retail strategy, partnership identification and management, creative product development and approvals, trade and retail marketing, royalty forecasting and administration, trademark registration and enforcement, and contracts and compliance.
• Gaming Licensing Representation Specialist gaming brand licensing representation covering Microsoft Studios, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, SEGA, Bandai Namco, Mob Entertainment, and franchises including Minecraft, Call of Duty, DOOM, Sonic, Fallout, Overwatch, Diablo, and Halo.
• Kids Entertainment Licensing Representation Licensing representation for Hasbro brands (Peppa Pig, Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, My Little Pony, Nerf, Monopoly, Play-Doh), preschool brands, literary classics, family films, and kids TV properties across the Pacific region.
• Film & TV Licensing Representation Licensing representation for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Aardman Productions, Legendary Entertainment, and film/TV franchises including Ghostbusters, Cobra Kai, The Boys, Goosebumps, Dune, Godzilla, and others.
• Icons & Legends Licensing Representation Licensing representation for Australian icons, music legends, literary legends, and retro brands including AC/DC, Australian Olympic Committee, May Gibbs, Astro Boy, Rainbow Brite, and The Beatles.
• Music Licensing Representation Licensing representation for music artists and estates through partnerships with FutureShirts, Perryscope Productions, Manhead, Easypartners, Ceremony of Roses, and WMX, representing artists including AC/DC, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Ed Sheeran, and My Chemical Romance.
• Minecraft Quest Augmented Reality Retail Experience World's first Minecraft Augmented Reality retail event developed in conjunction with Microsoft and Intergalactic, enabling players to scan Minecraft Portals at BIG W stores to enter the Minecraft Overworld and collect gemstones.
• Minecraft Cubeez Collectibles Program Physical collectible campaign developed in partnership with Woolworths, BIG W, and Headstart International featuring eco-friendly cardboard collectible characters inspired by Minecraft, distributed free with qualifying purchases at participating retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• BIG W saw a 60% increase in Minecraft toy, stationery, clothing, books, and homewares sales year-on-year.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kip & CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKip & Co is a Melbourne-based lifestyle brand (founded 2012) that collaborates with Merchantwise-represented IPs including May Gibbs, Rainbow Brite, and The Eleventh Hour on homewares, bedding, apparel, and baby products.
• Culture KingscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCulture Kings (streetwear retailer with stores in Australia, New Zealand, and USA) collaborates on licensed gaming apparel collections including DOOM: The Dark Ages, Fallout, Ghostbusters, and Goosebumps.
• BlackMilkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlackMilk produces fashion collections for Merchantwise-represented IPs including Dungeons & Dragons (50th anniversary), Fallout, and Blondie. Their Dungeons & Dragons collection was among their most requested collaborations.
• EB GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEB Games activated an Xbox Gaming Consumer Products licensing partnership across Australia and New Zealand covering Halo, Spyro, World of Warcraft, Fallout, Diablo, and DOOM in apparel, accessories, gift, and homewares categories.
• WoolworthscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWoolworths partnered with Merchantwise on the Minecraft Cubeez collectibles campaign (free with $30 spend) and Minecraft movie retail campaign, available across Woolworths Supermarkets, BIG W, MILKRUN, and select Woolworths Metro stores.
• BIG WcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBIG W partnered on Minecraft Cubeez collectibles and the Minecraft movie retail campaign. BIG W saw 60% year-on-year growth across Minecraft toys, stationery, clothing, books, and homewares.
• Aftershock PCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAftershock PC (Australian custom PC brand founded 2018) partnered with Merchantwise to produce the world's first officially licensed Minecraft gaming PC in seven themed designs (Creeper, Obsidian, Grass Block, etc.) priced at competitive performance PC price points.
• Headstart InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeadstart International developed and manufactured the Minecraft Cubeez plush range for Woolworths and BIG W, featuring Creeper, Wolf, Sheep, and Bee characters in medium, multipack, and 6-inch sizes.
• JasnorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHasbro appointed Jasnor (Australia) as master toy distributor for Peppa Pig in Australia and New Zealand, facilitated by Merchantwise. Jasnor distributes toys across plush, figurines, playsets, roleplay, nursery, and activity categories.
• Cool ShirtzcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCool Shirtz (online fashion retailer) collaborated on a 70-piece Minecraft capsule collection available worldwide exclusively from shirtz.cool. The collection covers apparel, accessories, and desk items for men, women, and youth.
• RQmediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Australian e-commerce digital media agency RQmedia joined the Merchantwise Group through a phased acquisition. RQmedia continues to operate in South Australia serving existing clients, expanding digital media scale and proficiency for both businesses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• CPLG (Copyrights Promotions Licensing Group): Global brand licensing agency (part of PDMG) representing entertainment and consumer brands across multiple regions including EMEA, Asia Pacific, and ANZ. Most direct competitor in gaming, kids, and entertainment licensing representation.
• Beanstalk: Global brand licensing agency representing entertainment, sports, and consumer brands including gaming and entertainment IP. Comparable in representing major IP owners across multiple product categories and regions.
• WildBrain CPLG: Brand licensing arm of WildBrain representing kids, entertainment, and consumer brands globally. Directly comparable in kids entertainment and gaming IP representation across multiple regions.
• Global Icons: Independent brand licensing agency representing entertainment and consumer brands including gaming and lifestyle IP. Comparable specialty focus on global entertainment licensing representation.
• Evolution: Independent licensing and brand management agency representing entertainment and consumer brands. Comparable service offering of full-spectrum licensing representation including retail, merchandise, and brand strategy.

Broad incumbents

• IMG (Endeavor): Global licensing division within Endeavor representing sports, entertainment, and media brands worldwide. Much larger parent, broader portfolio, but overlapping core service of brand licensing representation for entertainment IP.
• Studio Licensing (Studiowide / Moonshine): Studio 100's licensing arm representing kids and entertainment brands including gaming-adjacent IP. Broader incumbent in the kids/family licensing space with overlap on properties like Minecraft-adjacent and Hasbro-adjacent brands.

Regional players

• Licensing Link Europe: European-focused brand licensing agency representing entertainment, sports, and consumer brands primarily in EMEA. Comparable regional licensing representation model, though geographically centred on Europe versus Merchantwise's APAC-EMEA split.
• Pacific Licensing Group: ANZ-focused brand licensing agency representing entertainment and consumer brands across Australia and New Zealand. Most directly comparable regional competitor for the ANZ side of Merchantwise's portfolio.
• Fever Entertainment: Licensing and brand extension agency representing entertainment and consumer brands across Asia Pacific. Comparable regional licensing focus with overlapping entertainment IP representation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/merchantwise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merchantwise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merchantwise