MUMBAI: Anthill Ventures, an investment and scaling platform for early-stage startups, has partnered with Viacom18 for an accelerator program called Anthill Studio.
With this partnership, the studio will provide additional market access opportunities to the startups of Anthill Ventures.
The program will scout for startups building products for the media and entertainment industry using technologies such as AI/ML, AR/VR, IoT, Big Data, Blockchain and others. The areas of focus include filmed entertainment, TV, gaming and digital media industries.
Anthill Ventures founder and CEO Prasad Vanga said, “Viacom18 has emerged as a prominent entertainment network and is a key enabler of sustained innovation and thought leadership.”
For Anthill Studio, Viacom18 will act as a catalyst to create the desired ecosystem for startups by providing easy access to the media and entertainment market.
In order to nurture Indian startups, the Mukesh Ambani-led media network Viacom18 launched its startup engagement program VsTEP last year.
With VsTEP, Viacom18 aims to provide startups with business and technology mentorship along with an opportunity to scale up by collaborating with them on contract basis or via other commercial opportunities.
Positive about the partnership with Anthill, VStEP head and Viacom18 Digital Ventures senior VP Achint Setia aims to bring disruptive innovations to media businesses. “We are looking at tech innovations especially in the areas of AI, ML, automation for our TV, films and digital business,” he said.
Located at Hyderabad, the studio division of Anthill Ventures is already in partnership with film production and distribution company Suresh Production to accelerate programmes towards helping the technology startups in building solutions for the M&E sector.
Anthill Ventures is present in nine global hubs across the world, with offices in Singapore, USA and India.
VStEP is a startup engagement programme that creates an opportunity for start-ups to pilot technology-based solutions to business problems.
