Hearst Ventures

Hearst Ventures, established in 1995, is the corporate venture capital arm of The Hearst Corporation, a diversified American media and information company. Based in New York, the firm strategically invests in companies operating at the intersection of media, information, and technology. With a focus on the media, entertainment, and interactive technologies sectors, Hearst Ventures seeks to support innovative businesses that align with its parent company's extensive portfolio, which includes newspapers, magazines, television stations, cable networks, and digital media platforms.

Kenneth Bronfin

Senior Managing Director and Head of International Investments

Gil Canaani

Managing Director and General Manager, Israel

Scott English

Senior Managing Director and Head of US Investments

David Famolari

Managing Director

Darcy Frisch

Managing Director and Vice President

Richard Malloch

Executive Vice President

Past deals in Streaming

Motor Trend

Acquisition in 2024
MotorTrend Group is the largest automotive media company in the world, incorporating a direct-to-consumer network, an extensive automotive digital operation, a massive social media presence, and a live event portfolio—all driven by industry-leading brands including MotorTrend, HOT ROD, and Roadkill. the group encompasses television’s No. 1 network for automotive superfans, a leading automotive YouTube Channel, and the MotorTrend App—our auto-dedicated subscription video-on-demand service.

iflix

Corporate Round in 2019
iFlix Sdn Bhd is a digital entertainment service provider based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded in 2014. The company caters to consumers in various countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and several others across the Middle East and North Africa. iFlix offers a comprehensive library of content, including TV shows, movies, hyperlocal originals, live sports, and news, allowing users to stream or download their preferred entertainment. The service features a diverse range of genres, including comedy, drama, K-drama, Turkish drama, Bollywood, and Nollywood, sourced from Hollywood, the UK, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Subscribers benefit from unlimited access to this extensive content library for a low monthly fee, enabling them to watch on multiple devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and televisions, thereby enhancing accessibility and convenience. As of June 2020, iFlix operates as a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings Limited.

iflix

Series C in 2017
iFlix Sdn Bhd is a digital entertainment service provider based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded in 2014. The company caters to consumers in various countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and several others across the Middle East and North Africa. iFlix offers a comprehensive library of content, including TV shows, movies, hyperlocal originals, live sports, and news, allowing users to stream or download their preferred entertainment. The service features a diverse range of genres, including comedy, drama, K-drama, Turkish drama, Bollywood, and Nollywood, sourced from Hollywood, the UK, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Subscribers benefit from unlimited access to this extensive content library for a low monthly fee, enabling them to watch on multiple devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and televisions, thereby enhancing accessibility and convenience. As of June 2020, iFlix operates as a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings Limited.

Kobalt

Series D in 2017
Kobalt is an independent music services company that provides alternatives to traditional music business models. It focuses on music publishing, label services, and neighboring rights divisions, offering innovative technology solutions aimed at enhancing efficiency and transparency in the music industry. By empowering artists, songwriters, publishers, and labels, Kobalt ensures that each stakeholder is compensated fairly and accurately, navigating the complexities of digital micropayments. The company serves over 8,000 artists and songwriters, managing approximately 600,000 songs and collaborating with more than 450 publishing companies. With a global workforce of over 275 employees, Kobalt delivers real-time reporting through its award-winning Kobalt Portal and offers a range of services, including global licensing management, royalty collection, creative services, and digital marketing. The company represents many prominent artists and songwriters, contributing significantly to the charts in both the US and UK.

Roku

Series H in 2015
Roku, Inc. is a leading streaming platform that provides users with access to a wide range of movies, TV episodes, live sports, music, and news. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, Roku operates in two primary segments: Platform and Player. The company has developed a proprietary operating system, Roku OS, which powers its streaming devices and co-branded televisions produced by various manufacturers. Roku offers a variety of streaming media players, accessories, and smart home products, and also operates the Roku Channel, a free, ad-supported service featuring both on-demand and live content. With a significant user base of over 80 million households, Roku generates revenue through device sales, advertising products, and licensing agreements, positioning itself as a prominent player in the streaming market.

Roku

Series F in 2013
Roku, Inc. is a leading streaming platform that provides users with access to a wide range of movies, TV episodes, live sports, music, and news. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, Roku operates in two primary segments: Platform and Player. The company has developed a proprietary operating system, Roku OS, which powers its streaming devices and co-branded televisions produced by various manufacturers. Roku offers a variety of streaming media players, accessories, and smart home products, and also operates the Roku Channel, a free, ad-supported service featuring both on-demand and live content. With a significant user base of over 80 million households, Roku generates revenue through device sales, advertising products, and licensing agreements, positioning itself as a prominent player in the streaming market.

Pandora Media

Series F in 2009
Pandora Media, LLC is a music and podcast discovery platform based in Oakland, California, serving approximately 70 million users each month. Founded in 2000, Pandora utilizes its proprietary Music Genome Project and Podcast Genome Project technologies to deliver personalized music streaming services. Unlike traditional radio, which broadcasts the same content to all listeners, Pandora allows users to create customized stations and playlists, as well as search for and play songs on demand. The platform is accessible via mobile devices, web applications, and approximately 2,000 connected products in homes and vehicles. Pandora generates revenue through an ad-supported radio service, a subscription service called Pandora Plus, and an on-demand service known as Pandora Premium. By leveraging extensive listener data, Pandora enables targeted advertising for both local and national advertisers while providing artists with valuable insights to connect with their audience.

Pandora Media

Series E in 2009
Pandora Media, LLC is a music and podcast discovery platform based in Oakland, California, serving approximately 70 million users each month. Founded in 2000, Pandora utilizes its proprietary Music Genome Project and Podcast Genome Project technologies to deliver personalized music streaming services. Unlike traditional radio, which broadcasts the same content to all listeners, Pandora allows users to create customized stations and playlists, as well as search for and play songs on demand. The platform is accessible via mobile devices, web applications, and approximately 2,000 connected products in homes and vehicles. Pandora generates revenue through an ad-supported radio service, a subscription service called Pandora Plus, and an on-demand service known as Pandora Premium. By leveraging extensive listener data, Pandora enables targeted advertising for both local and national advertisers while providing artists with valuable insights to connect with their audience.

Pandora Media

Series D in 2006
Pandora Media, LLC is a music and podcast discovery platform based in Oakland, California, serving approximately 70 million users each month. Founded in 2000, Pandora utilizes its proprietary Music Genome Project and Podcast Genome Project technologies to deliver personalized music streaming services. Unlike traditional radio, which broadcasts the same content to all listeners, Pandora allows users to create customized stations and playlists, as well as search for and play songs on demand. The platform is accessible via mobile devices, web applications, and approximately 2,000 connected products in homes and vehicles. Pandora generates revenue through an ad-supported radio service, a subscription service called Pandora Plus, and an on-demand service known as Pandora Premium. By leveraging extensive listener data, Pandora enables targeted advertising for both local and national advertisers while providing artists with valuable insights to connect with their audience.

Sirius XM Radio

Debt Financing in 2002
Sirius XM Radio, established in 1990, is a leading provider of satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It offers a wide range of commercial-free programming, including music, sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, and weather, to subscribers via satellite radio and online platforms. Sirius XM's content spans various genres and interests, featuring prominent personalities and exclusive shows. The company broadcasts to subscribers through a vast network of car, boat, home, and mobile devices, with pre-installed radios in most new vehicles. Sirius XM is a subsidiary of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., which also owns the streaming music platform Pandora.

Broadcast.com

Venture Round in 1998
Broadcast.com was an Internet radio company established in 1995, known for its streaming media services. It specialized in delivering live and on-demand audio and video programming over the internet, providing a diverse array of content that included sports, talk and music radio, television programming, business events, news, commentary, and full-length audio books. The company gained significant attention during the Dot-com Bubble and was sold to Yahoo! in 1999 for over $5 billion, marking a notable moment in the evolution of online media.
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