Telly
- Tech is disrupting all areas of media and entertainment, and investors are rushing to cash in.
- Startups are attracting millions in investments to change how content is made, distributed, and more.
- Here are 19 pitch decks that startups used to fundraise for pre-seed and Series A rounds and beyond.
Technology is upending all facets of media and entertainment. New startups are raising capital to jump on audiences' shift to streaming, change hidebound production practices, and more.
Insider talked with founders about the pitches they used to raise millions and innovate in content creation and distribution.
VCs and private equity have poured millions into AI startups like Runway that promise to reduce the cost and time it takes to create special effects like de-aging and film restoration.
"There's a lot of friction in making content," Peter Cioni said of his and his brother Michael's new AI platform, Strada. "We want to ease that."
There's Canela Media, which raised $32 million to build a streaming home for Latinos, believing the audience wasn't well served by mainstream streamers. "I kept reading about the streaming wars," cofounder Isabel Rafferty told Insider. "But I'm a Latina and my options are very limited."
Animation company Toonstar, which specializes in making quick-turnaround shows, got backing from actor and producer Mila Kunis for a new NFT series.
"There's a lot of development that I think is just like the Wild West, early days," cofounder John Attanasio said of Web3 entertainment. "But there's a lot of development from a tech standpoint that can create all sorts of utility and these crazy interactive experiences, that we're just kind of scratching the surface of."
Legion M is taking an unconventional approach to fundraising. The production startup is crowdsourcing its funding from ordinary people, who will then get a chance to help decide what projects the company pursues. The company calls its app that lets users influence the development process a "fantasy football for film buffs."
Check out the examples below to learn more about how these and other founders have sold their vision.
- Read the 12-page pitch deck 2 brothers used to raise $2 million for Strada, an AI startup to streamline content creation
- Read the 18-page pitch deck Pluto TV's cofounder used to raise funds for his free, ad-supported TV startup, Telly
- Check out the pitch deck that the AI startup Papercup used to raise $20 million and help media and entertainment companies reach new global audiences
- Check out the 16-slide deck Rebel Girls used to raise $8 million to expand its empowerment-focused storytelling to TV, film, and more
- Check out the 18-page pitch deck that Hollywood-focused fintech FilmHedge used to raise tens of millions and help hot new movies and TV series get made
- Read the pitch deck AI startup Neosapience used to raise $21.5 million to expand to Hollywood, where a former Warner Bros. Discovery exec is leading its US push
- Read the pitch deck that helped 'Entourage' star Adrian Grenier launch a media company focused on sustainable living
- Read 6 key slides from the pitch deck for Paper, an edtech startup that recruited a Disney creator to launch a kids' streaming service
- Read the pitch deck that sold Netflix on 'Ultimate Beastmaster,' the streamer's first reality show
- Read the pitch deck for a startup that's aiming to disrupt film production in Hollywood with an app that's 'like fantasy football for film buffs'
- Check out the 12-page pitch deck that raised $5 million for a live events startup backed by Mark Cuban
- Check out the 6-page pitch deck that got Mila Kunis to invest in an NFT animated series and a blockchain fan community where NFT holders can vote on storylines
- Read the 15-page pitch deck that raised $6 million for StoryCo, a blockchain-based platform that links Hollywood creatives directly with fans
- Read the 13-page pitch deck that raised $1.5 million for Stagetime, a LinkedIn for performing artists
- Read the 18-page pitch deck that Latino-focused streaming startup Canela Media used to raise $32 million
- Read the pitch deck a media tech firm used to raise $95 million to help content owners like NBCUniversal and Gannett run their streaming channels
- The startup behind the viral Tom Cruise deepfake just raised $7.5 million. Here's the 15-slide pitch deck Metaphysic used to attract investment from the Winklevoss twins.
- Leaked pitch deck shows how sports-media startup Overtime plans to reach $200 million in revenue by 2024
- Check out key slides from the pitch deck that helped Instagram comedy hit Friday Beers raise $6 million to expand and rebrand as Almost Friday