Turner Broadcasting System has taken small equity stakes in five digital media and advertising startups in its third annual Media Camp accelerator program in partnership with Warner Bros.
Under the program, Turner is investing $20,000 in each company with potential for future investments and commercial deals with the programmer’s cable networks or other Time Warner Inc. companies. The startups — AdTonik, Contextly, Flawk, Locket and Watchup — will spend three months working with digital, TV and film executives, and engaging in workshops on media-specific topics.
The five Media Camp participants selected by Turner will convene in San Francisco, culminating in a demo day scheduled for July 17. A second Media Camp demo day in L.A., led by Warner Bros., is slated to be held in mid-August.
The startups in the San Francisco Media Camp are:
AdTonik: Platform for extending TV advertising to mobile devices, targeting ads to viewers in the context of the TV programs they watch. The company has raised $500,000 in angel funding to date.
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Contextly: Content recommendations engine for digital publishers, aimed at boosting reader loyalty and engagement. Founded by former Wired writer Ryan Singel.
Flawk: Provides a way to host a live event on Twitter, aimed at letting brands deliver synchronized media and one-on-one interaction.
Locket: Android lock-screen app that aggregates media based on user interests, swiping habits and time of the day. Founded in 2013, Locket’s investors include Tyra Banks and Great Oaks Venture Capital.
Watchup: Delivers a personalized, adaptive video newscast via iPads, Android tablets and Google Glass; has raised $1.5 million in funding from investors including Microsoft, the Knight Foundation and Tom Yellin, president of production company The Documentary Group.
