A quick look back on 2020 at Channel 4 Ventures

It was obviously an exceptionally challenging year for all, but nonetheless a very active one for Channel 4 Ventures' growing ventures business. We saw continued resilience in both the digital consumer verticals we focus on and our own unique investment model for growth stage companies – celebrating the end of the year with two successful exits!

Our core medium TV achieved record breaking viewing as people turned to trusted TV sources like Channel 4 to help them navigate the new normal hitting our best viewing in almost a decade! 

Our highlights include:

  • Welcoming five new high growth, consumer companies to the portfolio: MEL Science, what3words, B-North, DeadHappy and a yet to be announced start-up
  • Realising two new exits:
    • Readly listed on NASDAQ Stockholm capitalising on 5 years of consistent year-on-year growth and it is now valued at £240m 
    • Drover exited to Cazoo, the fastest UK company to achieve unicorn status
  • Seeing nine of our portfolio companies ads go live on our channels 
  • Having investor Isabella Thomas join our small and ambitious team. We are looking to continue to build the team in 2021!
  • Building Channel 4 Ventures a brand spanking new website and logo

Over the next year, we will be building on our core investment themes. We like emerging or outright category leaders in digital consumer, from fintech to mass-market consumer propositions, like what3words and Mel Science. We are continuing to evaluate non-digital consumer verticals too, particularly food or FMCG, like Meatless Farm. We are interested in scalable regional ideas, like B-North. Whilst we always focus on disruptive new companies, we love it when it is done irreverently and fun, like DeadHappy. And we love companies that fit strongly with the rich and deep Channel 4 brand.

Throughout 2021 we will be continuing to invest in emerging digital consumer companies that want to be household name brands, so please do reach out if you'd like to learn more about us and how we help companies grow.