© Sceenic/BT Infinity Lab
More than 78% of the world's mobile data traffic will be video by 2021, according to a recent Cisco forecast. As social media platforms push for authenticity and new features encourage meaningful social interactions and create a “shared viewing experience,” video has become the most engaging form of digital content.
Sceenic, an innovative company which has built the "Watch Together" SaaS solution for media companies to allow them to quickly deploy ‘watch together’ experiences for their users, is growing quickly as a result of this user demand for live and relevant content.
The company was a finalist at Pitchfest 2017, the highly focused training and showcase programme which is delivered by Enterprise Europe Network in partnership with Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and held at St John’s Innovation Centre in Cambridge. We caught up with its CEO, Paul Bojarski, to learn how Sceenic has benefited from being on the Pitchfest programme.
What have been the most recent developments for Sceenic?
Our latest achievement is that we are very proud to be currently running a trial of our software solution with BT Sport, winning an award for new sports media innovation, as well as various eSports organisations.
What was the impact of Pitchfest on your venture?
We improved our sales proposition and also developed a relationship with the Cambridge Capital Group, who we have kept updated for our next round. We incorporated the feedback we received from Emma Fadlon, the Knowledge Transfer Network Access to Funding and Finance adviser and trainer, as well as from the wonderful Enterprise Europe Network team at St John’s Innovation Centre, into our investor proposition; in January 2018 we closed a funding round with R/GA Ventures as a result of the learnings.
How would you define a life as an entrepreneur?
Words cannot describe it but I think this gif sums it up perfectly!
What’s the best advice you’ve received while shaping your pitch deck for investors?
When developing your pitch deck, information about ‘the ask’ and ‘how the secured funds will be spent’ is extremely important. It must be very clear to investors what milestones will be achieved with the funding.
What’s next for Sceenic?
We plan to bring on board a few more eSports clients, definitely focusing on this market but also on the sports and IPTV over the top (OTT) industries. Next month we are showcasing our solution together with Orange at their stand at Viva Technology in Paris, so we are very excited for our export opportunities. And we have one more big announcement soon that we have been working on for a long time.
Applications are now open for the Pitchfest 2018 cohort of ambitious companies with innovative products and services with the potential to scale or who are already scaling and are looking to raise between £100k – £1m from investors. The deadline for applications is 16 May 2018. Places are limited on the programme and will be assessed for suitability. To apply for a place on the programme, please contact Anna Nadolna on anadolna@stjohns.co.uk
Join the conversation about Pitchfest on Twitter #PitchReady18
