Channel 4’s consumer investment arm, Channel 4 Ventures, has secured a £3 million investment into Vinterior, Europe’s leading premium, second-hand furniture marketplace.
The media for equity deal will enable the pre-owned home marketplace to tap into significant audiences for popular Channel 4 shows featuring home improvement such as Grand Designs.
The deal also enhances Channel 4 Ventures’ portfolio of home and furniture business investments which have previously included; Purple Bricks, Swyft, MyBespokeRoom, Coat Paints, Rated People and Get Agent.
This latest media-for-equity deal supports Channel 4’s wider goal of diversifying its revenue streams as it transitions to becoming a digital-first public service streamer, as laid out in its Fast Forward Strategy.
Vinay Solanki, Head of Channel 4 Ventures, said: “We’re leading the way in showcasing the potential of media-for-equity for brands, and we’re proud to now invest in a business which is a leader in its field. Viewers tune into Channel 4 for plenty of shows where furniture is a key focus – our audience appreciate pre-owned home items more than most. This deal is another example of how we can deliver commercial impact for businesses that team up with us.”
Sandrine Zhang Ferron, Vinterior Founder and CEO, said: “We've had great success from above-the-line advertising in London over the last year and I can't wait to take Vinterior to TV in the Autumn. It will allow us to increase our awareness and position Vinterior as the destination for buying and selling pre-loved, quality furniture to people beyond our current London focus.”
Channel 4 Ventures is the leading consumer venture capital investor which re-invests returns into Channel 4. The fund is a pioneer of the media-for-equity investment model in the UK, investing in consumer companies from the seed to pre-IPO stages using Channel 4’s advertising space and in return receiving equity stakes in the companies it backs.
This funding round brings the total funds raised by Vinterior to £15m. Other investors include Active Partners and Venrex.
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About Channel 4 Ventures
Established in 2015, Channel 4 Ventures is the consumer venture capital arm of Channel 4. The fund is a pioneer of the media-for-equity investment model in the UK, investing in consumer companies from the seed to pre-IPO stages using Channel 4’s advertising space (linear and streaming) and in return receiving equity stakes in the companies it backs.
We are a thesis driven investment team that believes that consumer companies can scale more rapidly by leveraging the reach of mainstream media platforms, like TV and VOD. Channel 4 Ventures exists to allow consumer companies to experience the benefits of brand advertising at an earlier stage of development than otherwise possible. Channel 4 Ventures has completed over 50 deals, backing companies such as what3words, Oddbox, Purplebricks, Pinterest, Crowdcube, Carwow, Raylo and Swyft.
Channel 4 Ventures is core part of Channel 4’s revenue diversification strategy, which seeks to reduce Channel 4’s reliance on advertising revenues. All profits made from exits of Channel 4 Ventures equity stakes are invested in the creative ecosystem.
About Channel 4
Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer.
The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For more than 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.
With a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with hundreds of creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country.
In 2024, Channel 4 launched its Fast Forward strategy to accelerate its transformation into an agile and genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030. It is designed to ensure Channel 4 embraces the generational shift in TV viewing, elevates its impact across the UK and stands out in a crowded market.
From its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is fully committed to harnessing the power of its regional structure to increase its impact across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions. 4Skills invests £5m in training, development and learning opportunities annually and this will double to £10m by 2025.
Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 43 Oscar wins and 97 BAFTA wins in its history.
About Vinterior
Vinterior is a design-led, circular marketplace on a mission to change the future of the furniture industry by making it frictionless to buy and sell pre-loved pieces, which are inherently more sustainable. Vinterior makes it easy for people to find one-of-a-kind furniture and homeware so they can create characterful homes. Buyers can also use the platform to sell, meaning high-quality items are constantly in circulation.
Vinterior has grown to become the largest supplier of premium pre-loved furniture and homeware in Europe with styles ranging from mid-century to antique to contemporary across all home categories including lighting, furniture, textiles, art, home decor and garden. The company also works with 2,000+ professional vintage and antique dealers, ensuring the inventory remains of a high quality.