Great Point Media’s Ventures Fund Invests in Brightlobe, ProgramBuyer, and Looper

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Great Point Media has made a trio of investments in U.K.-based media firms, the first out of its recently created Great Point Ventures fund. Screening portal ProgramBuyer, film and TV data analytics outfit Looper Insights, and kid-focussed immersive games platform Brightlobe are the first beneficiaries of investment from the fund.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme structure in the U.K. has been extensively used to help finance independent film, but following an overhaul of the rules by British authorities the relevance of EIS funding for film and TV has been questioned. Great Point has, however, formed its new fund under the new regime.

“Hopefully Great Point Ventures can help to allay any fears that producers and media businesses may have,” co-founder Jim Reeve said. “The media investment industry is alive and well, and starting with our three new partners, we’re excited to be contributing to the building of new media businesses.”

ProgramBuyer was founded by former Nat Geo execs Roz Parker and Edwina Thring. It is designed to give buyers and sellers a platform they can use to search for and showcase content, respectively.

Looper Insights, founded by Lucas Bertrand, has also been set up to allow rights holders to get the most out their libraries. It allows them track transactions across platforms, and update information about their content based on market trends.

BrightLobe, founded by Shivani Lamba, has developed technology that combines a gaming experience and a developmental assessment for children.

Great Point said Brightlobe and ProgramBuyer are the first of several all-female founded businesses in which it plans to invest.

Reeve founded Great Point in 2013 with Robert Halmi. Its activities span film and TV finance, production and distribution.

Reeve said Great Point Ventures will continue to invest in U.K. media firms amid the changes to the funding and tax relief landscape. “The new EIS rules may have temporarily created an uncertain climate, but they have helped create a great opportunity for investors and content creators in the media world,” he said.