Dealflow | July 17, 2019

New Media Ventures backs startups engaging new voters and voices

Jessica Pothering
ImpactAlpha Editor

Jessica Pothering

ImpactAlpha, July 18 – Civic tech investor New Media Ventures announced investments into 17 startups that will share $1.5 million funding.

The portfolio includes Contest Every Race, a platform for recruiting and launching new progressive political candidates; Luz Collective, a storytelling forum for the Latina community; and New/Mode, a grassroots political and community activism convener.

New Media Ventures has invested $50 million over the last decade in 70 companies developing new methods and platforms for engaging people in politics, news, and social activism.

More than half of the companies selected in the latest cohort are platforms driving voter engagement and amplifying the voices of under-represented communities. Others are addressing issues like communication with hard to reach populations (CommunityConnect Labs), debt management (Savi and UpSolve), and climate change activism (Sunrise Movement).