Strategic Partnership Brief — Confidential
Ecosystem Partnership Opportunity

From Feasibility Study
to Smart City Reality

Hunden Partners is the world's leading destination development advisor. MAKR has a $14.4B smart city pipeline and the technology to deploy it. Together, they create the only full-cycle ecosystem in the market: Feasibility → Capital → Technology → Operations.

Prepared for Rob Hunden — President & CEO, Hunden Partners
By Melanie Salvador — General Partner, MAKR Venture Fund

Four Stages. Zero Gaps.

Today, destination projects move through disconnected vendors at every stage. This partnership creates a seamless pipeline where each phase feeds the next.

01
Hunden Partners
Feasibility & Planning
Market analysis, financial modeling, economic impact, tourism strategy
02
MAKR Venture Fund
Venture Capital
$1B fund backing 70+ AI/data-driven companies for smart infrastructure
03
MAKR X
Technology Deployment
Contract engine deploying portfolio tech into $14.4B of destination projects
04
PureBrain AI
Intelligent Operations
30+ AI agents managing legal, compliance, fund admin, and operations
1,000+
Studies conducted by Hunden Partners across the globe
$14.4B
MAKR X project pipeline across 8+ smart city projects
$25B+
In built or planned assets advised by Hunden Partners
70+
AI/data-driven portfolio companies in MAKR Venture Fund

Hunden Partners at a Glance

The leading global advisor in destination real estate development, with nearly three decades of transforming communities through strategic feasibility analysis.

🎯
Founded
2006 — Chicago, IL
👤
CEO
Robin Scott Hunden — 30 years experience
📈
Growth
Inc. 5000 — Two consecutive years (2024 & 2025)
🌎
Revenue Growth
4x revenue increase (2020-2024) — 189% 3-year growth
📚
Track Record
1,000+ studies — $25B+ in advised assets
2024 Output
115 plans, projects & processes delivered
🏆
Recognition
Sports Business Journal Power Players list

Why Hunden Matters to MAKR

Hunden Partners is not just a consulting firm — they are the entry point for nearly every major destination development project in North America. Cities, states, universities, and private developers trust Hunden to answer the fundamental question: "Should we build this, and how?"

Their feasibility studies don't just validate projects — they shape which projects get funded, how they're structured, and who builds them. This makes Hunden the earliest, most influential touchpoint in the destination development pipeline.

Key Insight

Hunden currently conducts 115+ studies per year, each representing a project that needs technology, capital, and operational intelligence. MAKR's ecosystem can serve every one of these projects downstream.

Active Mega-Projects

These are live projects Hunden is advising right now — each one a potential entry point for MAKR technology and capital.

Texas
Fort Worth Convention Center Expansion
$606M
Modernizing aging complex to meet rapidly growing city demands. Construction phase begins 2026. Hunden has advised for 20+ years.
Smart Building Ready
Louisiana
LSU Arena & Baton Rouge Convention Center
Major Development
Convention center/hotel project and university arena. Hunden selected as city-parish development advisor after competitive bid.
Mixed-Use District
British Columbia
Surrey City Centre Arena District
$200M+
10,000-seat arena integrated with mixed-use entertainment complex. Hunden conducted market feasibility leading to full master planning in 2025.
Entertainment District
Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Arena & District
Major Development
New arena anchoring a mixed-use district around OU campus. University-driven destination development with commercial potential.
University District
Kansas
KU David Booth Stadium & Gateway District
Major Development
Public-private partnership combining stadium and conference center with vibrant mixed-use district on KU campus.
Smart Campus
Colorado
Fort Collins / CSU Conference Center
Major Development
Conference center development in partnership with Colorado State University. Tourism and economic catalyst for the region.
Convention & Tourism

Where MAKR X Meets Hunden's Expertise

MAKR X has $14.4 billion in destination projects that align directly with Hunden's core specialties. Every project needs feasibility validation before capital deployment.

MAKR X Project Project Scope Hunden Fit
Central Europe Motor Sport Circuit EUR 150M tech budget. Motor sport circuit and entertainment resort complex. Direct match — Hunden's core specialty is sports facilities and entertainment districts. Feasibility + economic impact study needed.
US Midwest Luxury Resort $800M total development. $120M MAKR X technology opportunity. Perfect fit — Hunden has deep hotel/resort feasibility expertise and 20+ years of Midwest market data. Tourism planning essential.
Jamaica Smart City $4B total. $600M MAKR X opportunity. Transformative destination project. Strong fit — Hunden conducts international tourism & destination strategy. Caribbean resort/entertainment district feasibility.
Central America Coastal Development $2.47B tech budget. Sustainable coastal community and tourism infrastructure. Strong fit — Tourism planning + hospitality feasibility for coastal destination. Sustainable development overlay.
US Midwest/East Smart Communities $700M tech budget. Waste to energy + smart community infrastructure. Good fit — Hunden's placemaking and community development expertise. 8 community-wide placemaking plans delivered in 2024 alone.
Pan-Africa Smart Countries $66B total across 33 countries. $9.9B MAKR X opportunity. Strategic fit — Destination development at country-scale. Hunden's Tourism Greece work demonstrates international government advisory capability.

What Each Side Brings

This is not a vendor relationship. It's an ecosystem where each partner's output becomes the next partner's input.

🔍
Hunden Brings to MAKR
  • First-mover access to 115+ new destination projects per year
  • Credibility with cities, states, universities, and DMOs
  • Feasibility validation that de-risks MAKR capital deployment
  • 30 years of market data across sports, entertainment, hospitality
  • Relationships with developers, government entities, and institutions
  • Financial modeling and economic impact analysis for every project
MAKR Brings to Hunden
  • Portfolio of 70+ AI/data companies ready for deployment
  • $1B venture fund to capitalize technology integration
  • MAKR X contract engine for technology deployment at scale
  • PureBrain AI for intelligent project management and operations
  • Global pipeline of $14.4B in live smart city projects
  • Revenue sharing on technology layers added to Hunden-advised projects
💰
Revenue Opportunities
  • Joint advisory fees on smart city technology layers
  • Referral pipeline: Hunden feasibility → MAKR X technology deployment
  • Co-branded "Smart Destination" feasibility products
  • Technology integration consulting for Hunden's existing clients
  • Portfolio company pilots embedded in Hunden-advised developments
  • Shared due diligence reducing redundant research costs
🌐
Market Position
  • Only full-cycle ecosystem from feasibility to AI operations
  • No competitor offers feasibility + capital + technology + AI in one flow
  • Combined credibility: 1,000+ Hunden studies + 70+ MAKR companies
  • Cross-selling to each other's client bases immediately
  • First-mover advantage in "smart destination" market category
  • Institutional investors see complete value chain, not isolated bets

The Partnership in Practice

A concrete example of how a single project flows through the MAKR-Hunden ecosystem.

Without Partnership
Fragmented Value Chain
A city hires Hunden for a feasibility study. Study is completed. City then separately searches for technology vendors, capital sources, and operational partners. Each phase is disconnected. Technology is bolted on as an afterthought. AI capabilities are never integrated. Months of delays between each handoff.
With Partnership
Seamless Ecosystem
A city hires Hunden for a feasibility study. From day one, the study includes a smart technology layer — powered by MAKR's portfolio companies. When feasibility is confirmed, MAKR VF provides capital. MAKR X deploys technology. PureBrain AI manages operations. One continuous flow. Zero gaps. Faster to market.
Example: Motor Sport Circuit
Central Europe — EUR 150M
Step 1: Hunden conducts market feasibility and financial modeling for the entertainment resort complex.
Step 2: MAKR VF funds portfolio companies building smart venue tech, IoT infrastructure, and digital ticketing.
Step 3: MAKR X deploys technology across the circuit — smart crowd management, energy systems, digital concessions.
Step 4: PureBrain AI orchestrates ongoing operations — compliance, vendor management, financial reporting.
Example: Jamaica Smart City
Caribbean — $4B Total
Step 1: Hunden develops destination master plan — tourism strategy, hospitality feasibility, economic impact analysis.
Step 2: MAKR VF identifies and funds companies building sustainable infrastructure tech.
Step 3: MAKR X deploys $600M in technology — smart grid, water management, security systems, connectivity.
Step 4: PureBrain AI manages cross-border compliance, investor reporting, and multi-vendor coordination.

Let's Build the
Smart Destination Ecosystem

MAKR and Hunden together create something no one else in the market can offer: a complete pipeline from feasibility study to intelligent, technology-powered reality.

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