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

Past deals in Media

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Upworthy

Series A in 2013
Upworthy is an online media platform dedicated to sharing impactful stories that foster connection among individuals. By focusing on significant social issues, Upworthy aims to change the way people engage with important topics, believing that compelling narratives can resonate with a broad audience and inspire change. The platform serves as a resource for users to discover and discuss meaningful stories, facilitating a community centered around shared experiences and values. Through its commitment to quality storytelling, Upworthy seeks to elevate conversations around critical matters, ultimately contributing to a more informed and connected society.

Versa

Seed Round in 2013
Versa is a media technology company that focuses on promoting an informed and engaged public through innovative platforms. Its flagship offering, Featured Perspectives, is a unique technology-driven platform that allows organizations, executives, thought leaders, and advocates to provide real-time commentary and analysis on developing news stories. This feature not only generates premium revenue for publishers but also enriches the reader experience by offering high-quality opinions alongside news updates. Additionally, Versa has developed a platform dedicated to open political data, allowing users to access comprehensive information on politicians, groups, issues, and events globally. By facilitating easy access to key political data, Versa aims to engage individuals in political discourse and encourage informed participation in civic matters.

ViewLift

Debt Financing in 2012
The future of video distribution & revenue is digital, through mobile, OTT, IPTV, Smart TVs & more. ViewLift is a full-service video platform for publishers to distribute and monetize their content through custom branded native applications on every major digital device. Thanks to ViewLift, it has never been easier for companies to engage directly with consumers, streaming their video content across devices and reaching target audiences in today's rapidly evolving media landscape.
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