New EIS fund announces three investments to support growth of UK creative industries

by | Apr 30, 2019

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Great Point Media, a UK leader in entertainment development, production and distribution, has announced its investment in three UK companies from its recently launched Great Point Ventures fund.


 

The new fund’s first three investments are Brightlobe, which is pioneering a cutting-edge neurodevelopmental assessment delivered through immersive games for children, Looper Insights, a data analytics and digital asset management platform for film and television, and ProgramBuyer, an online screening portal that showcases TV content from around the world.

The creation of Great Point Ventures answers the call for sources of funding for companies operating in the media space, be it content creation, production facilities and services, content marketing or new media and technology. In the wake of new rules put in place in March 2018, the ability of companies in the creative industries to access EIS investment has been the subject of much speculation, with some UK companies even pulling out of raising EIS funds for the entertainment industry.

 
 

But Great Point Media co-founder Jim Reeve says the fund has been created to embrace the challenges of the new EIS rules. “Hopefully Great Point Ventures can help to allay any fears that producers and media businesses may have,” he says. “The media investment industry is alive and well, and starting with our three new partners, we’re excited to be contributing to the building of new media businesses.”

Brightlobe, Looper Insights, and ProgramBuyer bring remarkable opportunities to a wide range of entertainment products. Brightlobe, founded by Shivani Lamba, has developed technology that weaves together imaginative IP, an innovative gameplay experience, and a novel neurodevelopmental assessment for children. The startup’s platform is designed to intelligently support a child’s growth and development.

Looper Insights’ data analytics and digital asset management platform for film and television allows distributors and rights holders to more effectively see, manage and optimise their catalogues. Among other functions, Looper’s system allows companies to track merchandise transactions across all digital platforms and stores; update pricing and product availability according to title, store and territory; and make better marketing decisions based on observable sales trends. Looper is run by CEO Lucas Bertrand.

 
 

Founded by Roz Parker and Edwina Thring, ProgramBuyer uses a sophisticated search facility to provide sellers and buyers with a single destination where they can list and search for a wide variety of content from around the world. Buyers can find information about 1000s of titles, view screeners and search for programming, without having to log-in to multiple websites. For sellers, ProgramBuyer is a cost-effective marketing tool where they can showcase their entire catalogues to a broad range of buyers, from all markets and platforms.

Brightlobe and ProgramBuyer are the first two of several all-female founded businesses which Great Point Ventures is intending to invest in at a time when there is still a lack of investment in such businesses: the UK VC & Female Founders report undertaken by the British Business Bank showed that less than 1% of venture capital funding goes to start-ups founded entirely by women.

Great Point Media’s Jim Reeve emphasizes that with the help of its new investors, Great Point Ventures will continue to support creative industries in the UK so they can move forward and prosper. “The new EIS rules,” he says, “may have temporarily created an uncertain climate, but they have helped create a great opportunity for investors and content creators in the media world.”

 
 

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