Creative Artists Agency Announces Startup Studio – Creative Labs
Leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) unveiled Creative Labs, a startup studio focused on developing consumer-facing technology companies and next-generation media and entertainment experiences. Serial entrepreneur, two-time Emmy Award®-nominee, and venture capitalist Leonard Brody serves as chairman and cofounder of the new venture.
The company has raised $12.5 million in financing from key institutional investors that include Boatrocker Ventures, Entertainment One (eOne), Real Ventures, Seedcamp Ventures, and The Telegraph Media Group in London, in addition to individuals such as Saul Klein, Jeff Mallett, and Lane Merrifield.
CAA has a proven incubation track record, having conceptualized and cofounded six venture-backed companies, including FunnyorDie and WhoSay, for which the agency has collectively raised more than $100 million in third-party funding. With expertise in principal investing, CAA manages CAA Ventures, a venture fund that invests third-party capital in consumer technology businesses with high-growth opportunities. To date, the fund has invested in more than three dozen companies, including August, Bark + Co., Drone Racing League, Giphy, Medium, and Patreon.
Creative Labs has already launched two companies – Belletrist and Ground Control. It worked closely with CAA clients Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss to conceptualize and develop Belletrist, a new product-driven media company focused on the link between millennial women and arts and culture, which launched its first phase in April, and includes photo and video sharing, live community discussions, and a subscription book recommendation service curated by Roberts.
In June, Creative Labs launched Ground Control, an interactive audio platform rooted in the growth of voice operating systems, such as smart speakers. The company has distribution on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, and is led by highly-regarded tech entrepreneur Michael Macadaan.
