“The programme helped us translate creative vision into investor language,” explains George Caton-Coult of Pop Paper City
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“SMASH is like a dating app for creative projects,” explains Fiona Gillies of the film and TV company she co-founded with creative partner Christine Hartland and product expert Mahesh Ramachandra. “A creator might have a project that fits another person’s brief so we make it easy for them to find each other. The platform helps new voices telling different stories to get their projects taken seriously by the industry while providing an industry that’s under pressure to find fresh projects that connect with new audiences with an effective, streamlined way to reach beyond their traditional commissioning circles,” she adds. “We’re an IP matchmaking platform.”
Having met on a Creative UK scheme a few years ago, film producers Fiona and Christine both had first-hand experience with the struggles of getting the right projects seen by the right people. Naturally, they swiftly decided to do something about it and the end result was My SMASH Media, an innovative AI tool that solves this industry snag while retaining a human-edge.
“It’s an industry built on relationships so at the heart of SMASH, we have our SMASHCupid team,” continues Fiona, discussing her crack group of industry professional inbetweens. “They’re award winning writers, a BAFTA-nominated producer… Together, they have a really strong take on what makes a good project, they find the projects that fit a brief and then do the matchmaking.”
“There’s a strong human element, underpinned with tech”
How does it work? Well, let’s say a commissioner, producer or sales agent is searching for a certain type of film or TV series at any stage of the production journey. They brief the SMASHCupid team, that information is then shared with global creators who submit projects, SMASH filters and curates all the submissions and delivers a slate of projects to the producer/sales agent/company that fits their brief. “We’re using AI tools to make matching and filtering a lot easier,” says Fiona. “There’s a strong human element – but we’re underpinning it all with tech.”
The company has already delivered on this promise, pairing industry professionals with exciting hidden gems. Cut to 2025 and the founders are ready to take SMASH to the next level, embarking on their biggest finance raise yet and enrolling onto Creative Enterprise: Investment Readiness to help fine-tune their offering even further.
“We’ve been part of an accelerator before. However, very few are focused on the creative industries so there’s a real advantage of being part of this Creative UK scheme,” adds Christine. “Everyone on it is from the creative industries and all of the investors we’ll be meeting understand the creative industries. That’s a massive help for us, especially as we have 7000+ users in 91 countries and we’re looking to scale even further.”
It also provides an opportunity to shout about their company and its successes. “We can see that the SMASH platform makes a big difference to new voices whilst helping the industry source projects more efficiently. ” says Fiona. “We’ve successfully matched projects and people who would not otherwise be working together which in turn unlocks work opportunities right across the board. We feel very passionate about what we’re doing and the Investment Readiness scheme is a great platform for us to be able to speak about that.”
“You can never undervalue fresh eyes on your deck”
Speaking of communication, the scheme has helped to fine tune the language needed to successfully sell SMASH to investors who are keen to invest in the creative industries. “Every time you raise money, you speak to different people,” reasons Christine. “Being part of a programme with experts on hand who understand how to engage people from angel investors to high net individuals to smaller funds… is really useful.”
Impartial pitch deck feedback is ensuring their messaging is as clear as possible and through the programme’s mentor-led support, the company has unpicked its blind spots. “You can never undervalue fresh eyes on your deck. It’s incredibly useful,” smiles Fiona. “A process like this is all about de-risking your company and addressing all the potential problems that could arise. You’re focussing on making SMASH as valuable as possible for investors.”
By undergoing this process, Fiona and Christine are confident that My SMASH Media will enter into the pitch room in fighting shape, ready to meet new investors and reach its next stage of growth. “It’s a big stamp of approval,” says Christine of how the scheme is helping to boost their investor network. “People see you’re part of this programme and consider looking at your deck which is really important – especially when you’re raising.” Fiona echoes the sentiment: “Being selected for the scheme is like a badge of honour. It’s a great boost to your company and a wonderful opportunity – one we absolutely intend to seize.”