Channel 4’s consumer investment arm, Channel 4 Ventures, has secured a £3 million investment into Vinterior, Europe’s leading premium, second-hand furniture marketplace.
The media for equity deal will enable the pre-owned home marketplace to tap into significant audiences for popular Channel 4 shows featuring home improvement such as Grand Designs.
The deal also enhances Channel 4 Ventures’ portfolio of home and furniture business investments which have previously included; Purple Bricks, Swyft, MyBespokeRoom, Coat Paints, Rated People and Get Agent.
This latest media-for-equity deal supports Channel 4’s wider goal of diversifying its revenue streams as it transitions to becoming a digital-first public service streamer, as laid out in its Fast Forward Strategy.
Vinay Solanki, Head of Channel 4 Ventures, said: “We’re leading the way in showcasing the potential of media-for-equity for brands, and we’re proud to now invest in a business which is a leader in its field. Viewers tune into Channel 4 for plenty of shows where furniture is a key focus – our audience appreciate pre-owned home items more than most. This deal is another example of how we can deliver commercial impact for businesses that team up with us.”
Sandrine Zhang Ferron, Vinterior Founder and CEO, said: “We’ve had great success from above-the-line advertising in London over the last year and I can’t wait to take Vinterior to TV in the Autumn. It will allow us to increase our awareness and position Vinterior as the destination for buying and selling pre-loved, quality furniture to people beyond our current London focus.”
Channel 4 Ventures is the leading consumer venture capital investor which re-invests returns into Channel 4. The fund is a pioneer of the media-for-equity investment model in the UK, investing in consumer companies from the seed to pre-IPO stages using Channel 4’s advertising space and in return receiving equity stakes in the companies it backs.
This funding round brings the total funds raised by Vinterior to £15m. Other investors include Active Partners and Venrex.
