One of Britain’s best-known businessmen, Martin Sorrell, is staging a comeback just six weeks after he was ousted from WPP, using the same formula as in the 1980s when he transformed a little-known shell company into the world’s biggest advertising group.

 Sorrell said he would invest £40 million of his own money into Derriston Capital while institutional investors have pledged £150 million to buy marketing companies. The London-listed group will be renamed S4 Capital, in reference to four generations of Sorrell’s family, while he will become executive chairman.

Its next moves are likely to be closely watched in an industry facing questions over whether the ad guru’s model is still the best way to deliver adverts, marketing, research data and media buying.

WPP and its peers have struggled in recent years as major consumer goods groups such as Unilever trimmed spending on marketing and took some services in house, while consultancies such as Accenture have stepped up competition and Facebook and Google dominate the online ad market. “S4 Capital is a company that aims to build a multi-national communication services business focused on growth,” the 73-year-old said. “There are significant opportunities for development in technology, data and content.”

The new company, which has raised £51 million through Sorrell and institutional investors including Lombard Odier, Miton, a Rothschild investment unit, Schroders and Toscafund, is in early talks over a number of potential acquisitions.