TLDR:
Key Points:
- Channel 4 is launching Untapped, a new initiative to invest in overlooked founders.
- Untapped aims to diversify founder profiles based on factors like gender, education, race, and location.
Channel 4 is launching Untapped, a groundbreaking commercial initiative to invest in entrepreneurs who have traditionally been overlooked by the VC ecosystem. The initiative, led by Channel 4’s consumer investment arm, Channel 4 Ventures, aims to address the lack of diversity in founders securing significant investment historically. By investing in high growth businesses led by a broader range of profiles, including women, founders from diverse educational backgrounds, and those outside of the traditional start-up ecosystem, Channel 4 hopes to drive new revenues and support the development of innovative consumer propositions.
Untapped will use a new framework to determine founders’ profiles across various criteria, enabling Channel 4 to identify more investment opportunities in early-stage businesses. With a commitment to investing in businesses led by a more diverse range of founders, Channel 4 Ventures aims to drive millions of pounds in media value into a new wave of entrepreneurs, supporting the growth of the UK consumer investment landscape.
The initiative aligns with Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy to increase revenue sources as it transitions to a digital-first public service streamer. Vinay Solanki, head of Channel 4 Ventures, emphasizes Untapped’s potential to identify and support talented founders who are currently overlooked by the current investment ecosystem.
Channel 4 Ventures will analyze founders’ self-submitted data to determine entrepreneurs’ profiles and will conduct annual Untapped roadshows across the UK. The initiative builds on Channel 4’s history of addressing representation for commercial growth and follows previous initiatives like Black in Business and the Diversity in Advertising Award.
