Indiegraf is now accepting applications for the News Startup Fund, a new $3.5 million fund to support the launch and growth of startups filling local news gaps in underserved communities.
With financial support from the Google News Initiative, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and McConnell Foundation, the News Startup Fund will provide capital, resources and direct services to news startups across the U.S. and Canada.
The News Startup Fund is an expansion of Indie Capital, an Indiegraf program that has so far provided $1 million in seed funding to small news publishers pioneering new business models. The most recent Indie Capital recipients include The Kansas City Defender, The Objective, Shasta Scout, IndigiNews and The Breach.
“The $3.5M scale-up of Indie Capital is validation that journalist-entrepreneurs are becoming a major solution to the local news crisis,” Indiegraf CEO Erin Millar said. “Indiegraf is on a mission to make local news entrepreneurship not only possible but a great career and life choice for journalists everywhere. The News Startup Fund lowers the barrier to entry and democratizes local media ownership.”
