INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Snapchat is hedging its bets as its social network shrinks
revealed the first class of its startup accelerator called Yellow that offers $150,000 in funding and creativity-centric business education
in exchange for what a source says is a seven to 10 percent equity stake — in line with other accelerators like Y Combinator
The nine companies will take up a three-month residency in one of Snap buildings in Venice, Calif., near Los Angeles.The accelerator class
ranges from augmented reality and journalism studios to lifestyle brands around weddings and fashion to aesthetic-focused marketplaces like
ConBody that pairs you with a muscular ex-convict for workouts.Yellow calls itself &A launchpad for creative minds and entrepreneurs who are
looking to build the next generation of great media companies.& Yellow could become a content provider and potential acquisition feeder for
ANRK and Space Oddity Films could boost Snapchat AR gaming effort, Hashtag Our Stories could fill Snap Map with citizen news broadcasts,
Toonstar could bring animation to Discover, and SelfieCircus could power marketing pop-ups like the Snapbots that sold the company
Spectacles.But at the same time, it hard not to see Yellow as a potentialescape route for Snap business if Instagram competition ends up
Snapchat lost three million last quarter, contributing to a massive share price downslide
Following today departure of COO Imran Khan, it trading at $9.66, just a few cents above its all-time low.If a few of Yellow investments
blow up and Snap makes capital available for follow-on rounds, the returns could supplement its ad revenue
But none of this first batch of startups looks poised to be gamechangers the way Snap acquisitions of Bitmoji and Looksery early AR filters
were.Yellow inaugural classHere a look at the first nine companies in Snapchat Yellow, courtesy of write-ups provided by Snap.ANRK (London,
UK) & a new realities studio, exploring immersive storytelling through AR, VR, games and beyond.We are passionate about human-centered
narratives, and use playful interaction and new technologies to create powerful experiences that connect the digital and physical.ConBody
(New York, NY) & a prison-style fitness bootcamp that hires formerly incarcerated individuals to teach fitness classes.ConBody is
facilitating an opportunity-filled lifestyle by empowering our community to realize success lies within
We hire formerly incarcerated individuals to build personal discipline through a unique blend of cardiovascular training and bodyweight
exercises that take advantage of the resistance properties of everyday objects
We apply military techniques to space constraints intimately familiar to city-dwellers and individuals who reside in small, constrained
In addition, we&re changing the views of formerly incarcerated individuals to be changed by allowing professionals to interact with formerly
incarcerated individuals, which gives professionals a different perspective on them.ConBodyHashtag Our Stories(Durban, South Africa) & an
international mobile journalism (MOJO) network, publishing vertical video stories on social media
Created by citizens, curated by journalists.Since September 2017, we&ve empowered 200 citizen storytellers in over 40 countries to produce
We focus on constructive, solutions-based stories and provide more diverse news coverage
Because more cameras and more perspectives means more truth.Hashtag Our StoriesIDK (Los Angeles, CA) & the ID for Korean music
We are a digital media company expanding in-depth on the music of Korea and K-Pop as a globally recognized genre; showcasing the identity of
the artists that shape the culture
We provide insightful and rich coverage and content for the global Korean Pop audience.We are creating a Global Brand and Destination for an
English-Speaking Korean Pop Audience
Our mission is to create rich and stylized content about the Korean Music Genre; less gossip, more news and features
We want to provide a legitimate outlet for Korean Pop Culture; to create emotive, aspirational stories that are visually chic to a young,
hyper-aware and digitally engaged audience.As the company begins we will focus on publishing the best in engaging social video content
We will translate this content across platforms, ultimately building brands, shows and stories that feed the insatiable audience appetite
From there we will build toward live events, merchandise and much more.Love Stories TV(New York, NY) & a video platform for wedding planning
and inspiration, bringing engaged couples and event professionals together in a uniquely visual community
Think of us like &Houzz& for weddings: We connect brides and grooms with the ideas, inspiration, products and services they need for their
[Note: Snap tells me Love Stories TV did not give up a seven to ten percent equity stake as it had previously raised a $1.7 million seed
round, but wouldn&t disclose more details about its equity stakes in the other startups.]On lovestoriestv.com filmmakers and newlyweds from
all over the world share their professionally produced videos along with the data and details about the wedding
Brides and grooms watch the videos to find ideas, inspiration, products and services for their wedding
We also have an active community of pre-engaged-brides under the age of 24 who watch the videos on our site, social and Amazon Prime channel
We partner with brands and wedding pros to help them reach brides and grooms on our site and channels via the real wedding films that
feature them and original content.Love Stories TVPremme (Los Angeles, CA) & a fashion-first, body-positive lifestyle brand for the plus-size
It-Girl.Today, 67 percent of women in America wear plus-sizes — yet plus-size fashion only accounts for 17 percent of the women apparel
When it comes to media representation, plus-sizes are similarly lacking in positive, aspirational visibility
Premme empowers women who have been historically marginalized through fashion-forward, statement-making clothing and visionary, contemporary
editorial content and imagery
By creating a relatable, yet aspirational brand that centers on plus-size women, we aim to flip the script on what it means to look and be
stylish, while leading the conversation and movement toward truly diverse and inclusive fashion.PremmeSelfieCircus (Los Angeles, CA) & a new
kind of circus.SelfieCircus creates pop-up experiences designed to be documented and shared on social media
The company is building a platform to connect artists, brands and consumers
The first SelfieCircus will open in Los Angeles in late 2018.SelfieCircusSpace Oddity Films(Los Angeles, CA) & a content studio exploring
tech and culture that creates innovative content for every platform: mobile, digital, AR/VR, video games, feature film and television.We
tell stories about the convergence of humanity and technology
Our original viral tech horror thriller shorts are the foundation of our brand
Our goal is to make the future now.Space Oddity FilmsToonstar(Los Angeles, CA) & a digital animation network that creates and distributes
daily pop culture cartoons for an &always on& world
Powered by proprietary animation tech, we produce daily, snackable, interactive animated content at unprecedented speed and cost.We have a
large and highly engaged audience of teens and young adults generating millions of views per week because our content is sticky, shareable,
relatable and engineered specifically for social
We&re a team of studio alumni and media tech innovators who have produced hit digital animated series, built groundbreaking interactive
media technologies and launched mega entertainment franchises
Now we&re on a mission to build a next-gen animation network that delivers greater reach + engagement at a fraction of the operating
