HOKO Agency

What HOKO Agency does

HOKO Agency is a privately held brand marketing and event management agency founded in 2014 in the UAE by Bally Singh (Chairman), Max Palethorpe (Founder & CEO), Ana Santos (Founder & General Manager) and Jeremy Lopez (Founder & Director of Hum(AI)n Assets). It operates through three service pillars — Rights Holdings and Franchises, Consultancy, and Event Management — delivering end-to-end project management, production, marketing and post-event evaluation for premium brand activations, gala dinners, award shows, exhibitions and grassroots programmes across culture, entertainment, sports and F&B.

The company's primary clients are blue-chip corporations, IP owners, sports teams, media partners, promoters, venue operators and UHNW individuals, with marquee relationships spanning LVMH, McLaren, Heineken, Samsung, Emirates, Marriott, Red Bull, DP World, Moet Hennessy, Tag Heuer, OKX and MoneyGram (the latter as a globally retained ICC platform account). HOKO owns and operates a portfolio of registered IP and event franchises — AIOKA (luxury hospitality), Polo Classic Cup, Urban Polo, Rosas Cafe (F&B), Hum(AI)n Assets (AI content production), Hum(AI)n Web3, The Rich List, TICC and the Sports Impact Summit — generating licensing, franchise and commercialization revenue independent of fees-for-service.

HOKO runs from its Abu Dhabi headquarters in the TwoFour54 media free zone, with additional offices in Dubai (Studio City), Singapore, New York, plus London and Marbella operations, and currently employs 101–250 people. Revenue is generated through bespoke enterprise engagements (event management fees, consultancy retainers, sponsorship activation commissions) and from owned-IP licensing/franchising. There is no disclosed proprietary technology platform, no public financials and no external institutional funding; the company is closely held by its four founders with related-party overlap into the Rich List Group and Almoayed Investments.

Name

HOKO Agency

Legal name

HOKO Agency

Website

https://hokoworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HOKO Agency is a UAE-headquartered, privately held brand marketing and event management agency (founded 2014, 101–250 employees) serving blue-chip corporates, IP owners and UHNW clients across culture, entertainment, sports and F&B via owned-IP franchises and bespoke event activations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Marbella

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Event Management: End-to-end event project management and production services for events, exhibitions, brand activations, award shows, gala dinners and media events. Services include project management, financial management, programme development, event branding, marketing and communication, sponsorship support and fulfilment, ticketing, logistics, production and on-site management, and post event evaluation.
2. Consultancy Services: Advisory services for businesses on culture, sports and entertainment covering IP creation, development and financial growth strategies. Addresses fan segmentation, direct-to-consumer digital strategies, international go-to-market, live event revenue maximization, and rights value maximization.
3. Rights Holdings and Franchises: HOKO owns and operates its own IP and franchise concepts including AIOKA, Polo Classic Cup, Urban Polo, and Hum(AI)n Assets. Revenue generated through licensing, franchise fees, and commercializing owned IP concepts in various territories worldwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HOKO Agency is a brand marketing agency operating across culture, entertainment, and sports. It delivers end-to-end event management and production, strategic consultancy for IP owners, and owns/operates its own portfolio of IP and franchise concepts (AIOKA, Polo Classic Cup, Urban Polo, Hum(AI)n Assets) that it commercializes globally for itself and clients.

Product overview

HOKO Agency is a brand marketing agency operating across three core service pillars: Rights Holdings and Franchises (IP creation, strategic activation, and revenue generation), Consultancy (advisory services for culture, sports, and entertainment businesses), and Event Management (end-to-end project management for events, activations, and experiential campaigns). The agency portfolio includes sub-brands AIOKA (luxury hospitality experiences), Hum(AI)n Assets (AI-powered digital content production with its blockchain extension Hum(AI)n Web3), and Rosas Cafe (boutique F&B concept). Event franchises include Polo Classic Cup, Urban Polo, The Rich List, and the International Influencer Convention (TICC). HOKO delivers emotionally resonant brand activations designed to form deeper connections between audiences and brands across culture, entertainment, sports, and F&B sectors globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hum(AI)n Assets: Content production platform that fuses AI efficiency with human creative intelligence, including its blockchain-powered extension Hum(AI)n Web3.
• Rosas Cafe
• Polo Classic Cup
• Urban Polo
• The Rich List
• International Influencer Convention (TICC)

Products and services

• Rights Holdings and Franchises Creation of IP concepts, strategic activation of rights and intellectual property, asset and platform evaluation (legal protection, market share, profitability), audience data analysis, and commercial revenue generation for rights holders worldwide.
• Consultancy Advisory services covering strategic, financial, and operational issues for blue chip corporations, IP owners, sports teams, media partners, content distributors, promoters, venue operators and service providers. Includes fan segmentation, direct-to-consumer strategies, international go-to-market, and rights value maximization.
• Event Management End-to-end event project management and production for events, exhibitions, brand activations, award shows, gala dinners, and media events. Covers project management, financial management, programme development, event branding, marketing and communication, sponsorship support, ticketing, logistics, production, on-site management, and post-event evaluation.
• AIOKA Bespoke luxury sports and entertainment hospitality experiences for corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals, including iconic brand activations during race weekends and curated tastings in partnership with luxury brands such as LVMH/Dom Perignon.
• Hum(AI)n Assets AI-powered content production platform that delivers high-quality digital creative assets including images, video, and text by combining AI efficiency with human creativity, blending elements of creative agencies, AI tools and freelancer marketplaces.
• Polo Classic Cup Global polo event franchise connecting senior leaders, partners and guests around world-class polo and premium hospitality, with editions in Singapore and Abu Dhabi and planned expansions to Miami, Silverstone and Barcelona.
• Urban Polo Urban polo event concept and franchise developed and commercialized by HOKO, bringing polo to urban settings.
• Rosas Cafe Boutique cafe brand in Marbella, Spain featuring 100% locally sourced, homemade menu, bespoke cakes, and the first-ever menu for dogs in Spain; serves as a venue for haute couture brand events including Dior, Chanel, and La Perla.
• Sports Impact Summit Event and media platform uniting finance, AI and sport to redefine sustainability, exploring how AI technology can be leveraged for impact and sustainable investment in sport.
• The Rich List VIP events franchise operated under the Rich List Group, including F1 events that have been expanded and commercialized into international markets by HOKO leadership.
• International Influencer Convention (TICC) Convention event brand created and equity-staked by HOKO leadership, bringing together influencers and industry stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multi-million-pound business with international prominence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Rich List GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRich List Group is an affiliated company where HOKO founders Bally Singh and Max Palethorpe serve in leadership roles. Bally Singh is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Rich List Management, while Max Palethorpe is Managing Director of Rich List Group. The Rich List F1 events were commercialized and expanded into international markets under Max's leadership.
• Hum(AI)n AssetscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHum(AI)n Assets is a content production platform co-founded by Bally Singh and Jeremy Lopez that fuses AI efficiency with human creative intelligence. HOKO Agency founder Jeremy Lopez leads this initiative which solves the universal problem of telling powerful stories quickly across industries.
• Hum(AI)n Web3minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlockchain-powered extension of Hum(AI)n Assets, developed as part of HOKO's exploration of cutting edge technology at the intersection of fintech, media, and cultural innovation.
• Almoayed Investments B.S.C(c)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbdulrahman Almoayed serves as a Director at HOKO Agency. Almoayed Investments is a multidisciplinary family-owned investment group active in private and public sector enterprises. Their partnership brings expertise in establishing international brands in F&B, hospitality, and retail sectors including Ducati, Apple, Barry's, Harley-Davidson, and others.
• MoneyGram (ICC Platform)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobally retained client for ICC platform including running all programmes at ICC World Cups and talent acquisition for marketing campaigns globally. HOKO created and delivers grassroots football programme MoneyGram Goal in varying Asian markets. Max Palethorpe serves as lead on this major account.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Two Circles: Sports marketing agency built around fan data and direct-to-consumer strategy. Comparable to HOKO's consultancy and DTC/fan-segmentation offerings for sports and entertainment rights holders.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global talent, sports and entertainment agency that has acquired the leading sports marketing businesses (CAA Sports, Iconic Sports Acquisition). HOKO CEO Max Palethorpe previously worked at CAA, and both firms sell brand marketing, events and IP activation to blue-chip corporates and rights holders.
• Endeavor: Owner of WME, IMG and On Location, offering talent representation, sports marketing, events and experiential services globally. Directly comparable in selling premium brand activations, hospitality and event franchises to F1, luxury and sports clients.
• IMG (part of Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment company operating events, media rights, licensing and brand experiences. Closely comparable in premium event delivery (e.g., F1, polo, tennis) and IP/franchise commercialization for rights holders.
• MKTG (Dentsu): Global experiential and sports marketing agency within Dentsu, delivering live experiences, sponsorship activation and brand engagement. Directly comparable in event-driven brand activation for premium and sports clients.
• The Marketing Arm (Omnicom): Experiential, sponsorship and entertainment marketing agency within Omnicom, providing brand activation, events and talent/entertainment partnerships. Comparable in selling event-driven brand experiences to enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• Octagon: Dedicated sports and entertainment marketing agency focused on sponsorship strategy, brand activations and event production. Overlaps with HOKO's event management, sponsorship activation and sports IP commercialization offerings.
• Wasserman: Sports marketing, talent management and event services agency representing brands, properties and athletes. Comparable in selling brand partnerships, sponsorship activation and live event experiences to sports and entertainment clients.
• CSM Sport & Entertainment: Sport and entertainment marketing consultancy providing sponsorship, brand activation, events and digital strategy. Comparable in consultancy and event services sold to rights holders and blue-chip brands across sport and culture.
• Fuse (Omnicom Precision Marketing Group): Sport and entertainment consultancy within Omnicom focused on partnerships, brand activation and insight-led marketing. Directly comparable in sponsorship strategy, rights holder advisory and event activation services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoko-agency-dpm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 HOKO Agency