Innovation Fund Open Call: Resist and Rebuild

We are excited to announce the 6th Open Call for the New Media Ventures Innovation Fund!

New Media Ventures is a seed fund and network of investors and donors financing media and technology startups that build advocacy movements, create new narratives and drive civic engagement. Over the past 6 years, we have financed such powerful social change startups as Upworthy, responsible for making social good content go viral, and SumOfUs, a 10 million member movement for corporate accountability.

The New Media Ventures Innovation Fund finances early-stage, for-profit and nonprofit startups with $50K, participation in NMV’s startup support program and access to NMV’s network of angel investors.

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The deadline for applications is Friday March 3, at 5 pm PT. EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY EVENING, MARCH 5.

This election has challenged all of us to do more, and we want to help create the future we want to live in. We are particularly interested in the intersection of media, technology, civic engagement and advocacy, where innovation can have an incredible impact. We’re thinking about how to make media work better for our democracy and technology issues that will impact social justice.

During this Open Call, we are looking for companies and organizations working to resist fear, lies and hate as well as those focused on rebuilding, and using this unprecedented moment of citizen mobilization to shape a better future. We are particularly interested in projects in the following categories:

1. Organizing newly politicized people. This could include organizations that are effectively blending national reach via digital tools with local impact via on-the-ground organizing but also best-in-class technology that can help organizations do that work.

2. Building better media. We are looking for ways to burst filter bubbles, fight fake news and dark influence. We also want to hear about new business models that reward quality and engagement, solutions that elevate new voices with more diverse perspectives, and creative distribution strategies.

Questions?

Check-out our extensive FAQs and listen to the recording from our informational webinar

You can also email innovationfund@newmediaventures.org with any questions.

Good luck!

Note: New Media Ventures typically solicits applications for funding twice a year via our Innovation Fund Open Call. We also review applications for later-stage startups throughout the year, email hello@newmediaventures.org directly if you’re raising a larger round of funding and would like to chat.