“The programme helped us translate creative vision into investor language,” explains George Caton-Coult of Pop Paper City
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“The problem we’re solving is ‘What am I going to watch tonight?” says Rahul Patil, unpacking the very simple yet universal challenge behind his new TV-focused start-up. “We waste lots of time thinking and endless scrolling — and if you are wondering how much, it can be up to 51 minutes,” he continues. “You want to watch one thing, your wife wants something else, and the kids want something entirely different, so you end up saying, ‘Put whatever on, my food is getting cold.’ That’s the story of millions of people – and me as well.”
He’s not wrong. Despite having more choice than ever before, viewers are often at a loss when it comes to finding the perfect content to suit their specific tastes. As Rahul rightly points out, this shouldn’t really be such a struggle – and yet, it’s one we can all relate to. “I started thinking, ‘Why can’t my recommendations serve me what I want?’ They have my watch history, so they should be able to. My initial thought was that someone else needed to fix this problem but that hasn’t happened. So I thought, ‘Well, if no one’s fixing it, I’m going to fix it.’ That’s how we started out.”
The end result is Tellygence, a TV app that does the tricky thinking for you, delivering the content you want to see, minus all the time-wasting indecision. It operates in one of the fastest-growing TV markets, Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television – or FAST, for short. “We stream live TV for free and monetise through programmatic advertising,” says Rahul, explaining the sector. “Think of it as the new cable TV, but there’s no cable, no set-top box and no subscription to pay.”
“If no one’s fixing this problem, I’ll fix it”
It’s a sector that’s ripe for growth. As the cost of living increases, users are becoming less inclined to pay for subscription-based streaming services, especially if they now come with advertisements. That leaves FAST on the cusp of mainstream appeal. It’s already seen rapid growth in other parts of the world, and Rahul wants Tellygence to become synonymous with this type of viewing.
“Right now, the timing is so amazing that we want to put our foot on the accelerator,” says Rahul, on his determination to take things to the next level. “With every start-up and product, the one that comes at the right time makes history. At this point in time, seeking investment aligns with all our tick boxes. We already have a proven model, a team, commercial deals and the market is ready. We must go full throttle and make the most of it.”
This path led Rahul to Creative Enterprise: Investment Readiness, Creative UK’s intensive support programme helping screen-based businesses become investment savvy. Having run other start-ups before, Rahul is already familiar with the startup world. However, as Tellygence enters its second investment round, he was keen to fine-tune his skill sets.
“Every time you refine your narrative, it increases your investability”
“It’s like a journey,” says Rahul of running a start-up. “There are always new things you need to learn, not only from your mentor but also from your peers. Working with Creative UK is interesting ground for us because their amazing mentors have helped us in terms of storytelling. We’ve refined our pitch deck many times, and having a different point of view definitely helps. I’m happy with the help I’ve received from the mentors,” he says, “not just the one that was allocated to me but the other mentors too.”
The scheme’s specific focus on the creative industries was also appealing to Rahul, as was its ability to connect Tellygence with like-minded investors. “The programme is great for creative start-ups. It’s so focused on the creative sector and a safe place for you to talk to other people in the industry,” he reasons. “It’s also a mix of online and offline, which is amazing because you can always spare one or two days a month”, he adds, highlighting its flexibility.
Looking ahead, Rahul feels that Creative Enterprise: Investment Readiness has helped further distil Tellygence down to its essence, in turn making it a more appealing proposition to potential backers. “It’s a refinement piece for us,” he says. “When it comes to investment, it’s the narrative that’s important. For me, this programme is all about ‘How can storytelling be better and more exciting – and every time you refine your narrative, it increases your investability.”