'Meet the Drapers,' the Crowdfunding Reality Show by Sony Entertainment Television, is Again on the Hunt for the Next Big Idea; Season 2 Going Global
NEW YORK, November 26, 2018 (Newswire.com) - “Meet the Drapers” Season 1 debuted the world’s first crowdfunding-based startup reality show in 2017-2018, featuring the Drapers – Silicon Valley’s legendary VC family – and was an immediate success in the Americas.
Startups in Season 1 raised a staggering 2.2 million dollars through the show, with Pigeonly being chosen as the winning startup that claimed the Grand Prize funding investment by Tim Draper. All in all, the top 6 finalists received over $400,000 in funding from Tim Draper during the Season 1 final episode.
Season 2 takes things up several notches and promises to be more exciting than ever in its search for the hottest startups. The show is going global and will now be accessible to millions of viewers in 167 countries through multiple platforms. Season 2 premiered in the Americas on Nov. 24, 2018 at 6 p.m. ET on Sony Entertainment Television (SET). The series is sponsored by Draper University, Augmate & Veridoc.
“We were thrilled by the success of Season 1 and look forward to bringing “Meet the Drapers’ to a global audience,” said Jaideep Janakiram, Head of Americas, Sony Pictures Networks. “Season 2 showcases some of the brightest young entrepreneurs in the U.S. and we are hoping that the show will encourage other entrepreneurs around the world to apply and get their shot at success.”
Cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Bitcoin are changing the world, and no one understands it better than Tim Draper, one of the foremost authorities on the blockchain and crypto space in the VC world.
“We are going to experience the greatest transformation of humans in the history of the world as a result of Bitcoin and all its associated technologies,” said Tim Draper. Season 2 of “Meet the Drapers” weaves this technology into the show with the addition of Crypto Corner – a special segment where Tim Draper will discuss the latest developments with celebrity experts in the field and share insights with viewers.
In “Meet the Drapers,” viewers watch some of the U.S.’s hottest young entrepreneurs pitch their startups to the Draper family, one celebrity guest judge, and the audience. Viewers will then invest in the startups they like best via the Republic crowdfunding platform. Startups that raise the most funds from viewers will enter the grand finale. From these lucky few, Tim Draper will select the final winning companies that will get funding from the Draper family.
“The next generation of startups is being built today and viewers can share in their success if the startup takes off,” said Republic Partner, Chuck Pettid. “It’s been a thrill for us to work on this groundbreaking television series and we can’t wait to bring Season 2 to the world.”
Thousands of startups applied to be part of Season 2, and after extensive screening, 36 finalists were chosen to be on the show. Detailed information on participating startups can be found on republic.co/meet-the-drapers. Some of the guest judges this season include billionaire entrepreneur Naveen Jain, astronaut Anousheh Ansari and the founder of Clear Ventures VC firm Rajeev Madhavan.
“Meet the Drapers” is produced and directed by Sarika Batra and created by Tim Draper in partnership with Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and Republic. “Meet the Drapers” Season 2 premiered on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 at 6 p.m. ET on Sony Entertainment Television. For more information about the series, please visit www.setasia.tv/meetthedrapers.
About Sony Entertainment Television:
Sony Entertainment Television (SET), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels, is a part of Sony Picture Networks India Pvt. Ltd., which is India’s leading television network. Since its launch in October 1995, SET has created a unique space for itself in the Indian Television industry. Pioneering new waves in television programming, big format non-fiction shows and an impressive array of fiction shows like The Kapil Sharma Show, Super Dancer, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Indian Idol, Dus Ka Dum, Comedy Circus, Cross Roads, CID, Crime Patrol, Mere Sai – Shraddha Aur Shaburi, Vignaharta Ganesha, Yeh Un Dino Ki Baat Hai, Yeh Pyaar Nahi to Kya Hai, Porus amongst others. SET is known for its innovative concepts and exciting formats and is the most preferred family entertainment channel which has been providing strong platforms for more than 700 brands to reach over 93 million households in India. In addition, Sony Entertainment Television is also available in the U.S., U.K., Africa, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, Fiji Islands and Seychelles. In total, SET influences over 332 million viewers in the Indian sub-continent, and the South Asian Diaspora worldwide.
About Republic:
Republic launched in 2016 with a mission to democratize investing as a leading equity crowdfunding platform and part of one of the most prominent startup ecosystems in the world. On Republic, anyone can invest in startups for as little as $10 in just a few minutes, using their credit card or bank account.
Media contacts:
Sony Pictures Networks
Puja Shah
Puja_shah@spe.sony.com
www.setasia.tv
Sarika Batra Productions
Sarika Batra
sarika@meetthedrapers.com
www.meetthedrapers.com
Republic
Jenna Guarneri
jenna@jmgpr.com
www.republic.co
Source: Sony Pictures Networks