Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with deep local connections, dedicated to promoting informed and engaged communities, which it views as vital for a healthy democracy. The foundation invests in journalism, the arts, and the development of cities where its founders, John S. and James L. Knight, once published newspapers. Through its Knight Enterprise Fund, it provides early-stage venture funding specifically aimed at media innovation. By supporting early-stage companies at the intersection of media and technology, Knight Foundation seeks to enhance access to quality information, thereby contributing to the overall well-being of communities.

Alberto Ibargüen

CEO, Co-Founder and President

Raul Moas

Senior Director / Miami

Christopher Thompson

Program Director

143 past transactions

Downtown Detroit Partnership

Grant in 2025
Downtown Detroit Partnership is a nonprofit organization that develops and implements innovative programs and initiatives to help businesses.

Amjambo Africa

Grant in 2025
Amjambo Africa is a nonprofit journalism organization that covers issues about diversity and immigration. It is Maine's most inclusive newsroom and publish content.

American Journalism Project

Grant in 2025
The American Journalism Project is the first venture philanthropy organization dedicated to local news by investing in and building nonprofit newsrooms that are sustained by and look like the people they serve. We make catalytic investments in nonprofit news organizations, partner with communities to launch new organizations, and coach leaders as they grow and sustain their newsrooms.

Plug and Play

Grant in 2025
Plug and Play is a global startup accelerator headquartered in Silicon Valley, specializing in seed and early-stage investments across various industries, including fintech, health, food and beverage, and travel. Founded in 2012, the company operates 12 industry-specific accelerator programs annually, fostering collaboration between emerging startups and established corporations. Each program lasts 12 weeks and selects startups based on rigorous evaluations from a network of venture capital partners and corporate sponsors. With a presence in 22 locations worldwide, including Spain, Japan, and several countries in Europe and Asia, Plug and Play has developed a vast ecosystem designed to facilitate meaningful connections and support startup growth. The firm has played a pivotal role in the success of notable companies such as PayPal and Dropbox, and its community of startups has collectively raised over $9 billion in funding. Through initiatives like Startup Camp, Plug and Play immerses entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley environment, providing them with mentorship, resources, and opportunities to refine their business models and pitch to investors.

HiveBio

Grant in 2025
HiveBio, a first-of-its-kind virtual accelerator program on a mission to reshape the landscape of life science startups globally.

Report for America

Grant in 2024
Report for America is a service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Public Media Company

Grant in 2024
Public Media Company is a national nonprofit that provides comprehensive consulting services for strengthening, expanding and financing public media in communities nationwide. They are committed to creating market based, regional and national operating solutions that result in more efficient uses of resources that will add value to the public media system.

Indiegraf

Seed Round in 2024
Indiegraf provides support, assistance, and resources to independent news outlets. It offers various services to help companies or organizations start their own digital news system. Indiegraf is based in Vancouver, Canada.

INIT

Seed Round in 2023
INIT is a non-profit organization empowering underserved communities to launch careers in technology.

Signal Akron

Grant in 2023
Signal Akron operates as a new non-profit news source. Signal Akron will have a 9-person editorial team producing high-quality journalism in numerous formats and across multiple platforms, and will be free to access.

Signal Cleveland

Grant in 2022
Signal Cleveland offers community members access to the news they require. It publishes authoritative, trustworthy daily journalism on a variety of topics, such as government, economy, education, health, safety, and resilience. Their website is chock-full of explainers and guides to help Cleveland residents navigate life in the city, and it serves as a growing civic tool for the city.

New World Symphony

Grant in 2022
New World Symphony is a development of instrumental music industries. They provide services to events for order in online available on the website. An online inquiry form is available on the company's website.

LION Publishers

Grant in 2022
LION Publishers is the nation's only membership organization for Local Independent Online News Publishers.

ISeeChange

Grant in 2022
iSeeChange leverages resident generated data, AI, sensors, and modeled data to help cities, utilities, and engineers design climate ready infrastructure.

Florida International University

Grant in 2022
As Miami’s primary public research university and one of the largest schools in the nation, Florida International University (FIU) offers over 200 degree programs and a rich student life. FIU’s undergraduate and graduate academics lead to degrees in a highly diverse selection of subject areas. An example of these varied offerings include Anthropology, Architecture, Art History, Asian Studies, Business, Civil Engineering, Counselor Education, Dramatic Arts, Interior Design, Law Medicine, and Occupational Therapy. Research activities are a central part of many areas of study, giving medical and other students the chance to participate in cutting-edge research projects. Student life at FIU is also rich with opportunities. In addition to numerous student organizations and Greek life, there are dance and theatre performances and public lectures. FIU even has its own on-campus museums and also hosts a nationally renowned creative writing festival. Eligible undergraduates may receive some form of financial aid to assist with tuition, housing and other necessary expenses. Admission requirements to FIU include proof of a high school diploma or GED and submission of SAT or ACT scores. FIU has a priority deadline, with applications received on a rolling basis after that deadline. Students who apply after the priority deadline are accepted on a space-availability basis.

Santa Clara University Endowment

Grant in 2022
Santa Clara University is a prominent Jesuit, Catholic educational institution located in Silicon Valley, California. Established in 1851, it offers a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs across various disciplines, including business, humanities, law, and science and technology, serving over 8,000 students. The university is recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, reflected in its high graduation rates and dedication to ethical and social justice principles. Santa Clara University also oversees an endowment fund, which plays a crucial role in supporting scholarships, faculty positions, research initiatives, and various academic programs. The management of the endowment is entrusted to the board of trustees, ensuring that the financial resources are utilized to enhance the university's mission and support its educational objectives.

Texas Tech University

Grant in 2022
Texas Tech University, established in 1923, is the largest comprehensive higher education institution in the western two-thirds of Texas. Located in Lubbock, it serves as the primary institution in a region larger than 46 of the nation's 50 states, uniquely housing a major university, a law school, and a medical school on its campus. Initially opened in 1925 with an enrollment of 914 students, Texas Tech has grown significantly, achieving record enrollment and research expenditures, which exceeded $140 million in 2012. The university emphasizes student achievement and provides a supportive academic environment through a distinguished faculty known for excellence in teaching and research. Additionally, the Texas Tech University System encompasses multiple institutions, including health sciences centers, aimed at advancing education, healthcare, research, and outreach. The university's commitment to fostering a diverse and quality-driven academic community continues to propel it toward becoming one of the nation’s leading research institutions.

Rutgers University Endowment

Grant in 2022
Rutgers University, officially known as Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a prominent institution for higher education, established in 1766 as Queen's College, making it the eighth-oldest college in the United States. As the largest university in New Jersey's state university system, Rutgers offers over 100 undergraduate, 100 master's, and 80 doctoral and professional degree programs across 175 academic departments and 29 degree-granting schools and colleges, with 16 offering graduate programs. The university also has a dedicated School of Law that covers various legal fields. Rutgers manages an endowment fund based in New Brunswick, which serves as a vital source of income to support its mission. This endowment funds student aid, innovative teaching programs, pioneering research, and the development of new technologies.

The University of Texas at Austin

Grant in 2022
The University of Texas at Austin, established in 1883, is one of the largest public universities in the United States and serves as the flagship institution of The University of Texas System. Located on a 350-acre campus, it comprises 17 colleges and schools, employing around 24,000 faculty and staff to support a diverse student body of over 50,000. The university offers a wide range of academic programs, awarding more than 8,700 bachelor's degrees annually across over 100 majors and 170 fields of study. Additionally, its Graduate School is a national leader, conferring approximately 3,500 master’s and doctoral degrees each year. Beyond its main campus, the university operates several research facilities, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and the Marine Science Institute, enhancing its commitment to education, research, and public service. The University of Texas at Austin is noted for its efforts to promote diversity and is recognized for the high number of undergraduate degrees awarded to minority students.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Grant in 2022
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides research, education, and practice to find solutions for health problems. Since its founding in 1916, the Bloomberg School has advanced research, education, and practice to create solutions to public health problems around the world. Faculty, staff, and students have helped eradicate smallpox, made water safe to drink, improved child survival, reduced the spread of HIV, and uncovered the dangers of tobacco smoke. Researchers and scientists are now discovering ways to eliminate malaria, increase healthy behavior, reduce the toll of chronic disease, improve the health of mothers and infants, and change the biology of aging. Every day, the Bloomberg School works to keep millions around the world safe from illness and injury by pioneering new research, deploying knowledge in the field, and educating tomorrow’s public health leaders.

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Grant in 2022
University of Minnesota provides baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in medicine, business, law, liberal arts, science, engineering, and architecture fields. They also provide education services to communities through science-based knowledge and training.

MediaJustice

Grant in 2022
MediaJustice is a national racial justice organizing hub that champions the media and technology rights of communities of color and America’s poor. It's mission is to build a powerful movement for a more just and participatory media and digital world—with racial equity and human rights for all.

Syracuse University

Grant in 2022
Syracuse University is a liberal arts institution providing undergraduate and graduate programs across various fields. The university emphasizes student support, financial aid, and transformative experiences to foster personal and professional growth.

Miami Dade College

Grant in 2022
As one of the most reputable colleges in Florida and the largest in the nation, Miami Dade College (MDC) opens a world of opportunities to students who plan to go the distance in their education, or professionals hoping to expand their skill-set. With multiple areas of study offering bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, as well as vocational certificates and enrichment programs, you will likely find what you are looking for. Choose from more than 150 academic programs or participate in MDC’s distance learning and Weekend College that work around your busy schedule. Tuition for any of these programs is low compared to the prestigious four-year institutions many MDC grads attend, however financial aid, grants and scholarships are available to eligible students. While Miami Dade College is the largest college in the nation with eight campuses and over 150,000 students, it offers small class sizes to help optimize your learning experience and collaborate with your peers. For ambitious high school students looking to get a head start in their college careers, MDC offers a dual enrollment program, the School for Advanced Studies for accelerated students, and the New World School of the Arts, a program designed to prepare students for professional careers in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. For those who want to enrich their life or further their career, non-credit programs are available through the School of Community Education, including Adult Education, GED Preparation, English as a Second Language, and more! Tired of living in boring old Miami? Although Miami Dade College’s diverse student life is active and full of character, its short or long-term study abroad programs allow you to experience new cultures in some of the most historically-rich and vibrant countries on the planet…for college credit!

CreaTV San José

Venture Round in 2022
CreaTV San Jose provides media and technology services. They offer programmes for communities. They offer services that include classes, submitting content, and production services.

NewsMatch

Grant in 2021
NewsMatch provided the roadmap, tech support, and national exposure.NewsMatch is a testament to the critical role of local news and investigative journalism.

CodePath

Grant in 2021
CodePath is increasing diversity in tech by transforming college computer science education. At over 30 colleges and universities, Codepath enhances college CS programs with expertise, curriculum, technical teaching tools, grading support, and instructor training to increase student job outcomes without costing students or institutions money.

Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University

Grant in 2021
The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida, is a land-grant institution dedicated to providing students with an education that will develop into lifelong learning and research opportunities. The university is renowned as a doctoral/research institution and is committed to addressing emerging issues on local and global levels. The university has a historic mission of educating African-Americans, although admissions welcome students of all races, ethnicities, and nationalities. Academics at the university include a wide variety of bachelor’s degrees, from Health Science to Landscape Design. The School of Graduate Studies and Research is offering graduate programs designed to train future scholars, teachers, researchers, and professionals. The university emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural competencies for the job market, which is why it offers study abroad programs, international studies and scholar services, and international education and development programs. If you seek a rich college life on campus, the university has over 120 certified student clubs and organizations you can join. All freshmen students and students taking less than 12 credits a semester who live more than 35 miles from campus are required to live in residential housing.

The Associated Press

Grant in 2021
The Associated Press is one of the largest and trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers, and commercial customers. It is a not-for-profit news cooperative that is owned by American newspaper and broadcast members. It has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. The Associated Press has been first to tell the world of many of history’s important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul. During its early years, The Associated Press delivered news by pigeon, pony express, railroad, steamship, telegraph, and teletype. In 1935, it began sending photographs by wire. A radio network was formed in 1973, and an international video division was added in 1994. Today, it employs the newest technology to collect and distribute content. The Associated Press is in the process of repairing its video and photography content: transitioning to high-definition, expanding its coverage and building a new and flexible infrastructure. It has one of the industry’s most sophisticated digital photo networks; a 24-hour continuously updated online, multimedia news service; a state-of-the-art television news service; and one of the largest radio networks in the U.S. The Associated Press’s commercial digital photo collection is one of the world's largest collections of historical and contemporary imagery. AP Mobile, the Associated Press’s award-winning news app, has been downloaded over 9 million times since its launch in 2008. Since the Pulitzer Prize was established, in 1917, The Associated Press has received 51 Pulitzers, including 31 photo Pulitzers. The Associated Press was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in New York with more than 280 offices worldwide, including every statehouse in the U.S. Most of its staffers are journalists and editors, and The Associated Press has more than 3,700 employees.

NYC Media Lab

Grant in 2021
Founded in 2010, NYC Media Lab is dedicated to driving innovation and ultimately job growth in media and technology by facilitating collaboration between the City’s universities and its companies. Launched by a consortium led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, New York University, and Columbia University, NYC Media Lab's goals include generating research and development, knowledge transfer, and talent development across all of the City’s campuses. The Lab is built on corporate membership. Current member companies include AT&T, ESPN, HBO, Hearst, NBCUniversal, Publicis Groupe, News Corp, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon. Member companies participate in roundtable events on technology issues such as big data and emerging interfaces; connect with one another and with faculty, students, and other university resources; and direct seed research projects on areas of interest to them. Companies choose between three levels of membership; more information can be found here. Seed projects take a variety of forms. For instance, Verizon recently crafted a project analyzing adaptive streaming video services with a team of electrical engineers at NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering. Hearst partnered with a team of design & technology MFA students at Parsons the New School to generate prototype mobile apps. Time Warner Cable teamed up with a computer scientist at NYU School of Engineering to get a view on how various computing trends will affect home bandwidth requirement scenarios in the future. NYC Media Lab brokers these projects; member companies have access to the results. Learn more about seed projects.

Brown Institute for Media Innovation

Grant in 2021
Brown Institute for Media Innovation is an educational institution that offers UG and PG programs in research and media innovation.

Partnership on AI

Grant in 2021
The Partnership on AI believes that artificial intelligence technologies hold great promise for raising the quality of people’s lives and can be leveraged to help humanity address important global challenges such as climate change, food, inequality, health, and education. In support of the mission to benefit people and society, the Partnership on AI intends to conduct research, organize discussions, share insights, provide thought leadership, consult with relevant third parties, respond to questions from the public and media, and create educational material that advance the understanding of AI technologies including machine perception, learning, and automated reasoning.

Refresh Miami

Grant in 2021
Refresh Miami is a platform that fosters the entrepreneurial and technical communities of South Florida. Their principal focus is to provide the community with a steady stream of educational content focused on inspiring and educating the technological and entrepreneurial communities.

Talent Scout

Grant in 2021
Talent Scout connects talented individuals from diverse backgrounds with South Florida-based technology companies.

Digital Grass

Grant in 2021
Digital Grass is dedicated to establishing a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Florida. D.G.I.T. provides minority and women-owned startups and established companies with access to mentors, financial investors, symposiums, and other business development tools.

Nightlight Cinema

Grant in 2020
The Nightlight Cinema is an independent, nonprofit movie theater. Advancing cinema and community in tandem.

ArtsNow

Grant in 2020
ArtsNow is an innovative non-profit connecting arts, culture, community events & artists thru collaboration.

Center for Black Innovation

Grant in 2020
The Center for Black Innovation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to empowering under-resourced and minority students through technology education. It focuses on cultivating diverse talent and leadership to foster smart cities and communities. The organization offers a variety of learning opportunities, including summer camps, weekend boot camps, and year-round courses that emphasize creativity, problem solving, entrepreneurship, and network development. By teaching coding and technology skills, the Center aims to equip students to create and innovate within their own communities.

WhereBy.Us

Venture Round in 2018
WhereBy.Us creates media and technology products that help people connect and engage in their cities. We're building a toolkit for local engagement that reimagines local media for a generation of globally minded, highly mobile curious locals. Today, we have brands running on our platform in five cities around the US: Miami (www.thenewtropic.com) Orlando (www.pulp.town) Pittsburgh (www.theincline.com) Portland (www.bridgeliner.com) Seattle (www.theevergrey.com)

WhereBy.Us

Seed Round in 2018
WhereBy.Us creates media and technology products that help people connect and engage in their cities. We're building a toolkit for local engagement that reimagines local media for a generation of globally minded, highly mobile curious locals. Today, we have brands running on our platform in five cities around the US: Miami (www.thenewtropic.com) Orlando (www.pulp.town) Pittsburgh (www.theincline.com) Portland (www.bridgeliner.com) Seattle (www.theevergrey.com)

CODE2040

Venture Round in 2017
CODE2040 creates access, awareness, and opportunities for top minority engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy. CODE2040's flagship program is their summer Fellows Program, which places high performing Black and Latino/a software engineering students in internships with top tech companies. and provides mentorship, leadership training, and network development. The program consists of: * an internship with a top tech company * mentoring * a speaker series * company visits * interactive workshops * executive coaching During the summer, CODE2040 fellows get to: * meet executives at tech powerhouses like Google and Facebook, * sit down with partners at top venture firms Kleiner Perkins SoftTech VC and Greylock Partners, * be mentored by early employees at YouTube and Quora, * work at leading edge startups Jawbone, Tumblr, and Etsy, * visit trendsetting companies like Square, Uber, Zynga and Twitter, * present an original engineering project to founders, VCs and engineering directors from around the Valley, and more! The pilot class of 2012 had five Fellows and in 2013 the class rose to 18 Fellows working at Silicon Valley's best companies. Why is CODE2040 important? Census projections show that people of color will collectively be the majority in the United States in the year 2040. Yet there is no indication that the substantial economic achievement gap is closing at the same rate. CODE2040 aims to make a direct impact on the gap by increasing the number of underrepresented minorities participating in and leading the high value, innovation economy.

Trint

Series A in 2017
Trint Limited operates an online platform that specializes in converting audio and video content into searchable text. Founded in 2014 and based in London, the company provides users with tools to edit and enhance transcripts quickly, add captions to videos, and share snippets of audio and video online. Trint's services cater to a diverse range of industries, including journalism, media, video editing, academic research, and market research. By utilizing artificial intelligence, the platform streamlines the transcription process, allowing users to easily locate key moments within their content. The founders, Jeff Kofman and Mark Boas, recognized the challenges of manual transcription and developed Trint to address these inefficiencies, ultimately enhancing content creation for both individuals and organizations.

Soofa

Seed Round in 2017
Soofa is a female-founded company established in 2014, originating from MIT and Harvard. It specializes in enhancing urban environments by integrating technology into public spaces to improve citizen engagement and experiences. The company develops solar-powered digital kiosks and smart signboards that serve as outdoor advertising platforms for city planners and local businesses. Soofa's digital signs display community-related content, local events, and real-time transit updates, fostering a connection between residents and their neighborhoods. Additionally, the Soofa Talk platform allows community members to contribute content to the signs, ensuring diverse voices are represented in public communication. Through its innovative approach, Soofa aims to make cities smarter, more social, and sustainable.

Blavity

Seed Round in 2017
Blavity, Inc. is a media-tech company founded in 2014, with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It serves as a platform for multicultural creators and influencers, particularly focusing on black millennials. By partnering with content creators, Blavity helps them reach broader audiences, amplify their messages, and support their creative endeavors. The company offers a diverse array of original content, videos, and unique experiences, aimed at providing balanced representation of Black culture in media. Additionally, Blavity's platform seeks to raise awareness about systemic racism while economically supporting individuals across the African diaspora through its curated and edited video content.

Mic Network

Series C in 2017
Mic Network Inc. is an online news platform based in New York, founded in 2011. The company focuses on delivering news tailored for a mobile and social media-savvy audience, primarily targeting millennials and society's changemakers. Mic Network provides coverage across various topics, including politics, business, culture, science, and the environment, aiming to inform, empower, and inspire its readers. With a monthly audience of 50 million, the platform emphasizes original reporting and diverse perspectives on significant issues, encouraging engagement and challenging conventional thinking. As of late 2018, Mic Network operates as a subsidiary of BDG Media Inc.

Catchafire

Venture Round in 2017
Catchafire, Inc. is an online platform based in New York that connects skilled professionals with nonprofits and social enterprises seeking to enhance their capacity for social good. Established in 2009, the company aims to provide meaningful pro bono experiences that empower volunteers and support the missions of various organizations. Catchafire's offerings include projects in areas such as infographic design, website visual design, bookkeeping, and brand messaging. Additionally, the company collaborates with businesses to develop and implement skills-based employee volunteer programs. As a certified B-Corporation, Catchafire is dedicated to fostering a community focused on effective volunteerism and driving positive change within the social sector. The company also has an office in San Francisco, California.

Newsela

Series B in 2017
Newsela, Inc. is an educational technology company that publishes daily online news articles to support students in developing advanced literacy skills. Founded in 2013 and based in New York, the company transforms real and current content from trusted providers into accessible learning materials. Its platform features news articles across various categories, including war, science, health, law, arts, and sports, presented at five levels of complexity. This approach enables students of different grades to enhance their non-fiction reading fluency and critical thinking skills in an engaging and user-friendly manner.

The Tab

Venture Round in 2016
The Tab is a media agency founded in 2009 by three students at Cambridge University, designed to provide a fresh perspective on university life and youth culture. The organization operates through a network of young journalists and producers at leading universities in the US and UK, focusing on social news, entertainment, sports, and significant events like protests. With a commitment to breaking stories and engaging content, The Tab has developed a loyal following among young adults aged 18 to 24. Its reporters create original articles and videos that often reach a global audience, establishing The Tab as a prominent voice in youth media. The company's unique approach has allowed it to syndicate content with major news outlets, further amplifying its impact on the media landscape.

The Mighty

Seed Round in 2016
The Mighty is a digital health community created to empower and connect people facing health challenges and disabilities.

Umbel

Venture Round in 2016
Umbel is a data management platform that specializes in the sports and entertainment sectors, focusing on the collection and utilization of first-party customer data. By providing valuable audience insights, along with information on teams, venues, and brands, Umbel enables organizations to enhance audience engagement and drive revenue growth. The platform is designed to keep audiences connected throughout events, fostering increased fan loyalty and maximizing the potential of data as a key asset for businesses in these industries.

Senzari

Venture Round in 2016
Senzari develops data and intelligence solutions for the media and entertainment industry. Their first product, MusicGraph is a recommendation, personalization and graph search product focused on the Music Industry.

Standard Analytics

Venture Round in 2016
Standard Analytics is a content management system designed specifically for academic publishing, enabling publishers to incorporate raw data and code in native formats. This approach not only reduces costs for publishers but also enhances the peer review process and search capabilities. The company focuses on improving the accessibility and reproducibility of scientific research by developing an API that allows both humans and machines to reuse, quote, share, and reproduce scientific findings. By integrating principles from software development, such as dependency management and continuous integration, along with semantic web technologies, Standard Analytics offers a novel framework for publishing and sharing scientific knowledge. Founded in 2014 and based in New York, the company aims to transform how science is published and communicated, facilitating a new mode of argumentation grounded in quantitative evidence.

Pop Up Archive

Seed Round in 2016
Pop Up Archive is an online platform of tools for organizing and searching digital spoken words. It makes sounds searchable using its speech-to-text technology. Audiosear.ch is a full-­text search and recommendation engine for podcasts and radio — powering the best podcast experiences by automatically knowing everything about podcasts. The Audiosear.ch platform turns speech into text, indexes it, and analyzes it to create millions of data points (i.e. topics, entities, people, recommendations). We help audio distributors, platforms, and advertisers improve listener experiences, audio discovery, and content targeting. Pop Up Archive was launched by Anne Wootton and Bailey Smith in 2012 and is operated from Oakland, California.

Blavity

Seed Round in 2016
Blavity, Inc. is a media-tech company founded in 2014, with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It serves as a platform for multicultural creators and influencers, particularly focusing on black millennials. By partnering with content creators, Blavity helps them reach broader audiences, amplify their messages, and support their creative endeavors. The company offers a diverse array of original content, videos, and unique experiences, aimed at providing balanced representation of Black culture in media. Additionally, Blavity's platform seeks to raise awareness about systemic racism while economically supporting individuals across the African diaspora through its curated and edited video content.

FORWARD Platform

Seed Round in 2016
FORWARD is an Integrated Program Administration solution that helps governments and non-profits administer resources to communities quickly, securely, and equitably.

Videolicious

Seed Round in 2016
Videolicious is a pioneer in video automation, focusing on transforming individuals into impactful communicators for B2B sales and marketing organizations. The company offers a web-based platform that enables users to create high-quality videos quickly and efficiently. This platform is designed to assist retailers and media companies in generating, exchanging, and editing video content, allowing for customization to meet specific needs. Through its innovative solutions, Videolicious aims to streamline the video creation process, making it accessible and effective for various business applications.

Vemba

Series A in 2016
Vemba has created the first player-agnostic technology solution for video distribution, allowing publishers to integrate third-party video content and advertising within their preferred editorial process and existing video workflow. Producers maintain better control of their content with Vemba, and publishers can feature original and complementary video without needing to adjust for unwieldy third-party players or advertising restrictions. With Vemba at the intersection of every transaction, both content owner and publisher receive real-time analytics on the performance of video and advertising, regardless of OVP, video player, ad server, or CDN.

WhereBy.Us

Seed Round in 2016
WhereBy.Us creates media and technology products that help people connect and engage in their cities. We're building a toolkit for local engagement that reimagines local media for a generation of globally minded, highly mobile curious locals. Today, we have brands running on our platform in five cities around the US: Miami (www.thenewtropic.com) Orlando (www.pulp.town) Pittsburgh (www.theincline.com) Portland (www.bridgeliner.com) Seattle (www.theevergrey.com)

Wickr

Venture Round in 2016
Wickr Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that provides a mobile communication application designed to facilitate secure messaging. Established in 2011, Wickr offers military-grade encryption for text, images, audio, and video messages, ensuring that communications remain private and confidential. The platform includes offerings such as Wickr secure communication channels for collaboration and Wickr Me, a private messenger tailored for individuals and teams of various sizes. The application is widely used across diverse sectors, including journalism, law enforcement, healthcare, and among private individuals, attracting users from over 113 countries. Wickr emphasizes user privacy by allowing only the recipient to decrypt messages, with the company itself not retaining decryption keys. Its innovative technology supports ephemeral messaging, enhancing security and anonymity for all users.

Nearpod

Series A in 2016
Nearpod Inc. offers a cloud-based platform designed to enhance the learning experience in both traditional and remote educational settings. Founded in 2011 and based in Aventura, Florida, Nearpod enables educators to create and deliver interactive multimedia presentations that engage students through synchronized use of mobile devices, particularly iPads. The platform allows teachers to convert existing content into mobile-friendly formats, facilitating real-time feedback via features such as polls and quizzes. Additionally, Nearpod provides a certified educator community that shares webinars, lessons, and training materials, along with various curriculum services, including resources focused on digital citizenship, social-emotional learning, and college readiness. By leveraging technology in the classroom, Nearpod aims to transform students into active participants in their education.

RadioPublic

Seed Round in 2016
RadioPublic is an innovative online platform that enhances the podcasting experience for both listeners and creators. It facilitates the discovery and engagement of new podcasts while providing tools for podcasters to connect with their audience and monetize their content. The platform includes features such as embedded web audio players, native podcast applications, and podcast marketing websites. By integrating these resources, RadioPublic supports podcasters in growing their audience and achieving success with their audio storytelling endeavors.

Blavity

Seed Round in 2016
Blavity, Inc. is a media-tech company founded in 2014, with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It serves as a platform for multicultural creators and influencers, particularly focusing on black millennials. By partnering with content creators, Blavity helps them reach broader audiences, amplify their messages, and support their creative endeavors. The company offers a diverse array of original content, videos, and unique experiences, aimed at providing balanced representation of Black culture in media. Additionally, Blavity's platform seeks to raise awareness about systemic racism while economically supporting individuals across the African diaspora through its curated and edited video content.

Chatfuel

Venture Round in 2016
Chatfuel is a company that offers a no-code platform for creating chatbots, primarily for messaging applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and others. Founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, California, Chatfuel enables users to automate communication without the need for coding skills. Its platform is designed to help businesses enhance their sales and marketing efforts by facilitating automated conversations, generating leads, and improving customer engagement. By integrating with popular social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Chatfuel allows users to send broadcasts, collect feedback, answer questions, and share content with their audience. This service is particularly beneficial for e-commerce marketers and business owners looking to boost sales while reducing operational costs through automated support.

Authorea

Seed Round in 2016
Authorea is a provider of a collaborative platform that is designed to read, write, discuss, and publish research. Its platform serves as a powerful document editor for researchers and provides collaborative editing, automatic citation formatting, tracking changes and it has the ability to make any document public or fully private that enables researchers to write documents together and attach references, figures, data, and source code. It improves how researchers work and make breakthrough discoveries by tackling one of the most important parts of the research cycle which is communication.

VSporto

Seed Round in 2016
Connecting true sports fans with unlimited quality audio content on their favorite teams.

Submittable

Series A in 2015
Submittable, Inc. is a cloud-based platform that specializes in submission management and content curation, enabling organizations to efficiently handle digital content, applications, and submissions. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Missoula, Montana, with an additional office in New York, Submittable offers comprehensive solutions for managing grants, awards, fellowships, and various intake processes. Its platform features customizable workflows, allowing users to tailor their review processes, and supports team collaboration through shared review panels and task assignments. Additionally, Submittable provides analytics and reporting tools to help organizations assess their impact and make data-driven decisions. The platform is versatile, catering to publishers, competitions, academic applications, and arts organizations by facilitating the submission of diverse media formats such as audio, video, manuscripts, and resumes.

CODE2040

Seed Round in 2015
CODE2040 creates access, awareness, and opportunities for top minority engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy. CODE2040's flagship program is their summer Fellows Program, which places high performing Black and Latino/a software engineering students in internships with top tech companies. and provides mentorship, leadership training, and network development. The program consists of: * an internship with a top tech company * mentoring * a speaker series * company visits * interactive workshops * executive coaching During the summer, CODE2040 fellows get to: * meet executives at tech powerhouses like Google and Facebook, * sit down with partners at top venture firms Kleiner Perkins SoftTech VC and Greylock Partners, * be mentored by early employees at YouTube and Quora, * work at leading edge startups Jawbone, Tumblr, and Etsy, * visit trendsetting companies like Square, Uber, Zynga and Twitter, * present an original engineering project to founders, VCs and engineering directors from around the Valley, and more! The pilot class of 2012 had five Fellows and in 2013 the class rose to 18 Fellows working at Silicon Valley's best companies. Why is CODE2040 important? Census projections show that people of color will collectively be the majority in the United States in the year 2040. Yet there is no indication that the substantial economic achievement gap is closing at the same rate. CODE2040 aims to make a direct impact on the gap by increasing the number of underrepresented minorities participating in and leading the high value, innovation economy.

Gimlet

Series A in 2015
Gimlet Media Inc. is a digital media company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company specializes in producing narrative podcasts, focusing on delivering high-quality audio storytelling that engages listeners and fosters understanding of various topics. Gimlet's platform allows users to share, subscribe to, and download podcasts, enhancing accessibility and audience engagement. In 2019, Gimlet became a subsidiary of Spotify Technology S.A., further expanding its reach within the digital media landscape. Through its innovative approach, Gimlet aims to help clients convey compelling narratives while broadening their brand visibility.

Feathr

Series A in 2015
Feathr is a comprehensive marketing platform for events and associations. It provides marketing tools like ads, invites, and conversations that work together to help in the growth of the events, boosting event attendance, increasing marketing ROI, and attracting and engaging members. The company's platform creates personalized experiences through data, insights, and digital communication. Feathr was founded in 2012 by Aidan Augustin and Aleksander Levental and it is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida.

Newsela

Series B in 2015
Newsela, Inc. is an educational technology company that publishes daily online news articles to support students in developing advanced literacy skills. Founded in 2013 and based in New York, the company transforms real and current content from trusted providers into accessible learning materials. Its platform features news articles across various categories, including war, science, health, law, arts, and sports, presented at five levels of complexity. This approach enables students of different grades to enhance their non-fiction reading fluency and critical thinking skills in an engaging and user-friendly manner.

Ripple Labs

Series A in 2015
Ripple Labs, Inc. is a technology company that operates a global payments network leveraging blockchain technology. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Ripple develops RippleNet, an enterprise-level decentralized solution that connects banks, payment providers, digital asset exchanges, and corporations to facilitate international money transfers. Its offerings include XRP, a digital asset used for payments; xCurrent, which provides cross-border payment services for banks; xRapid, designed for payment providers and financial institutions to optimize liquidity costs; and xVia, a tool for corporates and payment providers to send payments using a standardized interface. Ripple aims to create a frictionless experience for global transactions, allowing financial institutions to transact directly with each other while minimizing foreign exchange exposure and counterparty risks. The company also maintains additional offices in major cities around the world, including New York, London, and Sydney.

One Concern

Seed Round in 2015
One Concern, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in disaster preparedness and response through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with an additional office in Tokyo, Japan, the company offers a platform that generates post-disaster damage maps and daily situational reports. Its key product, Seismic Concern, focuses on earthquake preparedness and response, while the platform addresses a wide range of natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, and fires. One Concern's innovative approach combines hazard modeling and resilience analytics to assist governments and organizations in understanding and managing risks associated with climate change and other chronic stresses. By delivering tools that support the lifecycle of disaster management—from preparedness to recovery—One Concern aims to reduce the impact of disasters on communities and promote resilience. Recognized as a 2019 Technology Pioneer, the company is also part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovators community.

CrowdMed

Seed Round in 2015
CrowdMed, Inc. operates an online platform that utilizes prediction market technology to assist patients in diagnosing complex medical conditions. Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, CrowdMed connects patients with a network of medical detectives, including licensed physicians, medical students, and other healthcare professionals, to collaboratively solve challenging medical cases. By leveraging the collective intelligence of thousands of contributors, the platform provides patients with insightful diagnostic suggestions for their unresolved symptoms. This approach not only aims to expedite the diagnostic process for individuals who have struggled with chronic health issues but also seeks to reduce healthcare costs while maintaining quality care. CrowdMed's innovative model positions it as a trusted resource for patients seeking clarity and solutions in their healthcare journeys.

OwnLocal

Seed Round in 2015
OwnLocal offers an AI platform that automatically converts offline advertising and other data sources into online marketing campaigns. The OwnLocal platform collects, augments and transforms data into digital marketing campaigns. Best know for their automated online display solution, Origami, OwnLocal products power digital campaigns for over 4000 media companies worldwide, and the private OwnLocal ad network delivers over 10 billion impressions monthly. OwnLocal was founded in 2010 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Nearpod

Series A in 2015
Nearpod Inc. offers a cloud-based platform designed to enhance the learning experience in both traditional and remote educational settings. Founded in 2011 and based in Aventura, Florida, Nearpod enables educators to create and deliver interactive multimedia presentations that engage students through synchronized use of mobile devices, particularly iPads. The platform allows teachers to convert existing content into mobile-friendly formats, facilitating real-time feedback via features such as polls and quizzes. Additionally, Nearpod provides a certified educator community that shares webinars, lessons, and training materials, along with various curriculum services, including resources focused on digital citizenship, social-emotional learning, and college readiness. By leveraging technology in the classroom, Nearpod aims to transform students into active participants in their education.

This

Seed Round in 2015
This. is where you find and share the best entertainment, art and journalism on the web. Follow the people you trust, give thanks for their links and share the links you love. Each user can share just 1 link a day.

Trint

Seed Round in 2015
Trint Limited operates an online platform that specializes in converting audio and video content into searchable text. Founded in 2014 and based in London, the company provides users with tools to edit and enhance transcripts quickly, add captions to videos, and share snippets of audio and video online. Trint's services cater to a diverse range of industries, including journalism, media, video editing, academic research, and market research. By utilizing artificial intelligence, the platform streamlines the transcription process, allowing users to easily locate key moments within their content. The founders, Jeff Kofman and Mark Boas, recognized the challenges of manual transcription and developed Trint to address these inefficiencies, ultimately enhancing content creation for both individuals and organizations.

VSporto

Seed Round in 2015
Connecting true sports fans with unlimited quality audio content on their favorite teams.

The Tab

Venture Round in 2015
The Tab is a media agency founded in 2009 by three students at Cambridge University, designed to provide a fresh perspective on university life and youth culture. The organization operates through a network of young journalists and producers at leading universities in the US and UK, focusing on social news, entertainment, sports, and significant events like protests. With a commitment to breaking stories and engaging content, The Tab has developed a loyal following among young adults aged 18 to 24. Its reporters create original articles and videos that often reach a global audience, establishing The Tab as a prominent voice in youth media. The company's unique approach has allowed it to syndicate content with major news outlets, further amplifying its impact on the media landscape.

Mic Network

Series B in 2015
Mic Network Inc. is an online news platform based in New York, founded in 2011. The company focuses on delivering news tailored for a mobile and social media-savvy audience, primarily targeting millennials and society's changemakers. Mic Network provides coverage across various topics, including politics, business, culture, science, and the environment, aiming to inform, empower, and inspire its readers. With a monthly audience of 50 million, the platform emphasizes original reporting and diverse perspectives on significant issues, encouraging engagement and challenging conventional thinking. As of late 2018, Mic Network operates as a subsidiary of BDG Media Inc.

Tapad

Series B in 2015
Tapad, Inc. is a marketing technology company that specializes in identity-based marketing solutions. It offers a suite of products, including the Tapad Customer Data Platform and the Tapad Graph, which allows users to integrate first-party data with predictive modeling to enhance marketing outcomes. The Tapad Graph assimilates vast amounts of data to reveal the connections between various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs, enabling a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior. Additionally, Tapad provides Device Graph Access for targeted marketing and measurement, an Applied Analytics suite to evaluate campaign performance, and Dynamic Audiences for precise consumer targeting across devices. The company serves a diverse clientele, including agency trading desks, publishers, marketing technology firms, and Fortune 500 brands. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in New York, Tapad operates globally with offices in several major cities, including London, Chicago, Oslo, Singapore, and Tokyo. As of late 2020, Tapad functions as a subsidiary of Experian plc.

Fatherly

Seed Round in 2015
Fatherly operates as a digital media brand for dads. Its mission is to empower men to raise great kids and lead more fulfilling adult lives. From original video series and deep-dive reports to podcasts and events, Fatherly offers original reporting, expert parenting advice, and hard-won insights into a challenging, but profoundly rewarding stage of life.

Wedgies

Convertible Note in 2015
Wedgies offers a social polling service that helps publishers collect survey respondents directly within social media streams. The company was founded in April 2012 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Soofa

Seed Round in 2015
Soofa is a female-founded company established in 2014, originating from MIT and Harvard. It specializes in enhancing urban environments by integrating technology into public spaces to improve citizen engagement and experiences. The company develops solar-powered digital kiosks and smart signboards that serve as outdoor advertising platforms for city planners and local businesses. Soofa's digital signs display community-related content, local events, and real-time transit updates, fostering a connection between residents and their neighborhoods. Additionally, the Soofa Talk platform allows community members to contribute content to the signs, ensuring diverse voices are represented in public communication. Through its innovative approach, Soofa aims to make cities smarter, more social, and sustainable.

Standard Analytics

Seed Round in 2015
Standard Analytics is a content management system designed specifically for academic publishing, enabling publishers to incorporate raw data and code in native formats. This approach not only reduces costs for publishers but also enhances the peer review process and search capabilities. The company focuses on improving the accessibility and reproducibility of scientific research by developing an API that allows both humans and machines to reuse, quote, share, and reproduce scientific findings. By integrating principles from software development, such as dependency management and continuous integration, along with semantic web technologies, Standard Analytics offers a novel framework for publishing and sharing scientific knowledge. Founded in 2014 and based in New York, the company aims to transform how science is published and communicated, facilitating a new mode of argumentation grounded in quantitative evidence.

Change.org

Series C in 2014
Change.org is the world's largest social change platform, boasting over 150 million users across 196 countries. It empowers individuals to initiate campaigns, gather support, and collaborate with decision-makers to effect change in their communities. The platform focuses on social justice petitions, allowing users to advocate for various causes. As a certified B-corporation, Change.org is committed to creating a positive impact. The organization has attracted investment from notable figures such as Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington, and Richard Branson, as well as the Omidyar Network, founded by eBay's Pierre Omidyar.

Chute

Series A in 2014
Chute is a cloud-based platform founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, that enables marketers to harness visual content for enhanced engagement and actionable insights. The company specializes in helping brands and publishers discover, curate, and manage user-generated photos and videos through advanced features such as visual recognition, geolocation, and text search. By obtaining permission to use consumer content, Chute allows businesses to effectively showcase this media in their campaigns and applications, ultimately facilitating stronger connections with audiences and valuable insights into influencer contributions.

Gimlet

Seed Round in 2014
Gimlet Media Inc. is a digital media company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company specializes in producing narrative podcasts, focusing on delivering high-quality audio storytelling that engages listeners and fosters understanding of various topics. Gimlet's platform allows users to share, subscribe to, and download podcasts, enhancing accessibility and audience engagement. In 2019, Gimlet became a subsidiary of Spotify Technology S.A., further expanding its reach within the digital media landscape. Through its innovative approach, Gimlet aims to help clients convey compelling narratives while broadening their brand visibility.

Watchup

Series A in 2014
Watchup is a Stanford startup that reinvents the way we watch the news with an app that gives you all the best news channels in one personalized newscast. Watchup was named one of the Best Apps of the Year by Google Play, it's been featured on the Apple and the Amazon AppStores and won one Webby in 2016. Watchup leverages partnerships with 170+ video news publishers such as CNN, CBS and Vox Media.

Naytev

Seed Round in 2014
Naytev specializes in optimizing the sharing of content from websites to social media, significantly increasing referral traffic by 30%. The company has developed a social media management platform that automates and enhances the distribution of both paid and organic content across various networks. This platform enables users to run advanced campaigns and manage complex social media schedules efficiently, accommodating multiple handles and time zones. By employing machine learning, Naytev can identify and prioritize effective messaging in real-time, allowing organizations to streamline their content strategies while reducing costs and improving overall performance.

Newsela

Series A in 2014
Newsela, Inc. is an educational technology company that publishes daily online news articles to support students in developing advanced literacy skills. Founded in 2013 and based in New York, the company transforms real and current content from trusted providers into accessible learning materials. Its platform features news articles across various categories, including war, science, health, law, arts, and sports, presented at five levels of complexity. This approach enables students of different grades to enhance their non-fiction reading fluency and critical thinking skills in an engaging and user-friendly manner.

Pop Up Archive

Seed Round in 2014
Pop Up Archive is an online platform of tools for organizing and searching digital spoken words. It makes sounds searchable using its speech-to-text technology. Audiosear.ch is a full-­text search and recommendation engine for podcasts and radio — powering the best podcast experiences by automatically knowing everything about podcasts. The Audiosear.ch platform turns speech into text, indexes it, and analyzes it to create millions of data points (i.e. topics, entities, people, recommendations). We help audio distributors, platforms, and advertisers improve listener experiences, audio discovery, and content targeting. Pop Up Archive was launched by Anne Wootton and Bailey Smith in 2012 and is operated from Oakland, California.

Catchafire

Series A in 2014
Catchafire, Inc. is an online platform based in New York that connects skilled professionals with nonprofits and social enterprises seeking to enhance their capacity for social good. Established in 2009, the company aims to provide meaningful pro bono experiences that empower volunteers and support the missions of various organizations. Catchafire's offerings include projects in areas such as infographic design, website visual design, bookkeeping, and brand messaging. Additionally, the company collaborates with businesses to develop and implement skills-based employee volunteer programs. As a certified B-Corporation, Catchafire is dedicated to fostering a community focused on effective volunteerism and driving positive change within the social sector. The company also has an office in San Francisco, California.

Tapad

Series B in 2014
Tapad, Inc. is a marketing technology company that specializes in identity-based marketing solutions. It offers a suite of products, including the Tapad Customer Data Platform and the Tapad Graph, which allows users to integrate first-party data with predictive modeling to enhance marketing outcomes. The Tapad Graph assimilates vast amounts of data to reveal the connections between various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs, enabling a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior. Additionally, Tapad provides Device Graph Access for targeted marketing and measurement, an Applied Analytics suite to evaluate campaign performance, and Dynamic Audiences for precise consumer targeting across devices. The company serves a diverse clientele, including agency trading desks, publishers, marketing technology firms, and Fortune 500 brands. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in New York, Tapad operates globally with offices in several major cities, including London, Chicago, Oslo, Singapore, and Tokyo. As of late 2020, Tapad functions as a subsidiary of Experian plc.
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