EM Ventures, a division of Exterion Media focused solely on connecting start-up businesses with fast growth potential to urban audiences, will soon launch a new funding initiative for start-ups – this surely, is similar to Nurture, JCDecaux’s new division [1], which is working with Crowdfunder to find start-up businesses who want to grow? Ed.
Since its formation in February 2015, EM Ventures has worked with more than 30 businesses, including Squadron Venture Media, TransferWise and Treatwell to offer unmatched audience exposure. This has now led to the creation of the Media for Equity programme – an alternative, flexible funding model for fast growing, exit-driven businesses. It offers valuable outdoor advertising space and other services in return for a share of equity, and marks a significant extension in Exterion Media’s support for London’s burgeoning start-up community, which encompasses more than 4,000 businesses and 251,590 jobs.
Shaun Gregory, CEO at Exterion Media told us “A primary growth challenge for any fledgling company is building market awareness to not only accelerate customer take-up, but raise its profile amongst investors. We provide access to London’s 1.3 billion annual Tube passengers and 5.2 billion bus passenger journeys in the UK each year, offering unparalleled audience exposure to start-ups – just as EM Ventures has done for more than 30 businesses to date” .
“Exterion Media is able to pioneer this model in the UK due to the success of the EM Ventures team in forging innovative, win-win partnerships with exciting new companies in their critical growth stage. It’s hugely rewarding to help growing enterprises realise their potential by sharing our insights and display network, and providing vital exposure that is normally out of reach for companies of this size.
“At the same time, we see significant potential to take a whole new approach to generating revenue from previously untapped streams and make the Out-of-Home model more efficient. It’s a more sophisticated alternative to the way advertising has traditionally been bought and sold; one where the media owner has a direct stake in the success of clients.”
The EM Ventures team is led by senior people from within Exterion Media:
- CEO Shaun Gregory leads and chairs the Media for Equity programme. He has first-hand experience of scaling an early stage company, raising funds and working with investors, having operated as CEO of a start up which ultimately exited. Shaun has also served as Chairman and non-executive director for several start ups, including UK listed companies. He is actively involved in the UK early stage scene and with a number of investors, including White Horse Capital. In his previous role he was an advisor for WAYRA, Telefónica’s global incubator programme that spanned 14 countries and invested in over 200 start ups
- In addition to working with various start-ups in a consulting or mentoring capacity, Exterion Media’s Director of Growth Programmes, Alissa Ananieva has worked with leading media for equity firm SevenVentures, on developing its investment strategy. She also spent two years at MESA, a US-based boutique investment bank focused on media and entertainment, helping start-ups raise funding and supporting their growth strategies
Details for how start-ups can apply for the programme will be announced shortly.