Channel 4 is eyeing at least four production companies to invest in through its Indie Growth Fund this year, with bigger firms in its sights.
Speaking to Broadcast, fund head Caroline Murphy said there is “potential this year to take investment in one or two bigger companies which may have ambitions to grow more quickly”.
The fund currently backs 16 indies, six of which joined last year, including Leeds drama indie Duck Soup, Paper Entertainment, the London-based producer of Apple TV drama Tehran (pictured) and Big Deal Films, which made BBC3 comedy Dreaming Whilst Black.
Murphy said she expected at least two companies to exit the fund this year, following the departure of Whisper Films, Eleven Productions and Lightbox Films.
C4 is keen to continue to back companies in a range of genres and to have a portfolio that is diverse in leadership and location.
Currently, nine of the indies are based outside London, six have ethnically diverse leadership and five were founded by women.
Indie Growth Fund companies:
Big Deal Films
Candour Productions
Duck Soup
Eagle Eye Drama
Firecrest Films
Five Mile Films
Paper Entertainment
Parable
Proper Content
Salamanda Media
Spelthorne Community TV
Spirit Studios
Two Rivers Media
Uplands TV
Voltage TV
Yeti Media
