The Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) Ventures is now open for applications to invest in young and growing media companies with a positive social impact and potential to scale.
It focuses on projects located or serving audiences in countries where access to free and independent news and information is under threat.
MDIF Ventures invests in projects aimed at addressing accountability, strengthening debate, or reducing information poverty.
Unlike regular MDIF investments, MDIF Ventures equity financing targets companies along the early-stage spectrum, from pre-seed (“friends and family” and angel rounds) through to participating in growth or Series A financing rounds. MDIF Ventures may choose to do follow-on investments in existing investees.
Note: The amount they invest in each deal is dependent on many factors, including: stage of company development, total round-size, and location. When applying, please provide the total amount of money you are raising and how much of the round has already been raised (if any).
Eligibility Criteria
MDIF Ventures invests in the form of equity in projects aimed at addressing accountability, strengthening debate, or reducing information poverty. Consequently, the applicant – an existing media company or its founders in the case of a startup – must meet the following criteria:
Applicants must have a commitment to the provision of unique, credible, independent news, reducing information poverty, addressing accountability, or strengthening debate in the public interest.
Applicants must have a commitment to the fostering of democratic practices and institutions, political pluralism, transparency, human rights, and dignity and equal rights for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion and other subjects of discrimination.
The applicant’s ownership must be independent from the government or any other political or economic interests. This condition may be waived with respect to an applicant where the level and nature of such ownership do not put the applicant’s editorial independence in question.
The project must be located or serve the audience in countries where access to free and independent news and information is under threat. MDIF Ventures is not able to consider entries from Russia.
