All Access

Media Deals

Media Deals Alerts

Alert

Standard

Media Deals Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

mustard

BFD Expert Voices - Media Deals

BFD Expert Voices

Electrify Video Partners has raised $85 million from private equity firm Capital D to deploy toward new investments in or acquisitions of YouTube channels, co-CEO Ian Shepherd tells Axios.

Why it matters: The company is one of several media startups betting on YouTube content as investment vehicles. 

How it works: YouTube has served as a launchpad and home for many successful media businesses. Startups like Electrify, Spotter and Moonbug Entertainment help them scale even further either by providing capital or buying the channels outright. 

Electrify acquires 50% to 100% of a creator's business. It can provide capital and other resources to expand, or if it fully takes over the business, it offers a gradual transition period, Shepherd says.

Shepherd says Electrify helps creators by building a team to improve the quality and volume of a channel's video production, along with expanding the content's distribution to other platforms and creating additional revenue streams.

"At the core of our strategy lies a transparent process to make investments and maximize the upside for channel owners," he says.

Catch up quick: Electrify has invested in five channels: Veritasium, Astrum, SpitBrix, Fizzy and Improvement Pill. The channels have more than 30 million subscribers and more than 10 billion views, according to the company.

Shepherd founded Electrify in May 2021, alongside Owen Maher and Justin Reizes. Shepherd worked for Turner Broadcasting, Universal Music, BT and Disney and then founded The Social Store. Maher spent six years at KKR before joining Findex. Reizes worked at KKR for about 16 years.

Details: Capital D is Electrify's first institutional equity investor and has acquired a "significant" minority stake, Shepherd says.

Shepherd declined to disclose revenue but said the business is profitable.

Electrify raised $50 million in debt from MEP Capital in February. 

The company is not planning to raise more capital "imminently" but will in the future as it makes more investments, Shepherd says. 

Electrify Video Partners raises $85M to invest in YouTube channels

The startup has invested in YouTube channels such as Veritasium and Astrum.

YouTube

Electrify Video Partners has raised $85 million from private equity firm Capital D to deploy toward new investments in or acquisitions of YouTube channels, co-CEO Ian Shepherd tells Axios.Why it matters: The company is one of several media startups betting on YouTube content as investment vehicles.

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

charlotte

boulder

detroit

kansas-city

columbus

austin

dallas

atlanta

washington-dc

nw-arkansas

chicago

indianapolis

nashville

richmond

colorado-springs

houston

san-francisco

seattle

boston

des-moines

salt-lake-city

philadelphia

denver

phoenix

new-orleans

miami

twin-cities

raleigh

san-antonio

portland

san-diego

tampa-bay

cleveland

huntsville

pittsburgh

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

Electrify Video Partners raises $85M to invest in YouTube channels

What to read next