The Global Leader in TV Data & Identity​ Makes Pledge, and Partners with ​LGBT+ Investment Syndicate

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - June 30, 2020 -- Samba TV, the leading provider of global TV data and audience analytics, today announced its pledge to make TV audiences more inclusive by making its data available to analytics providers who are philosophically aligned and committed to developing measurement panels that are as inclusive and diverse as the audience it represents. Samba TV has long believed that the TV industry suffers from a lack of diversity, as well as a lack of transparency with audience measurement and is dedicated to driving change in the TV industry.

To that end, Samba TV is actively participating in other efforts to change the status quo. The company has committed to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge, and has applied to become a member of the organization which includes a promise to expand bias education and create strategic diversity plans within the company.

Samba TV has also partnered with Gaingels, a leading venture investment syndicate in service of the LGBT+ community and its allies. Gaingels provided growth capital, placing them alongside Samba’s existing investors that include Disney, Interpublic Group, MDC Ventures, Warner Media, August Capital, and Union Grove Venture Partners.

Gaingels is a syndicate of 600+ investors who focus on high-growth, venture-backed companies embracing LGBT+ leadership. Gaingels works with its portfolio of companies to add value in talent recruitment, corporate relationships, and represents the LGBT+ community on ownership cap tables. 

"Now more than ever, we have to take a hard look at ourselves and our organizations to see how we can address our biases that inhibit more diversity,” said Ashwin Navin, co-founder and CEO of Samba TV​​. “We must drive improvement that creates lasting change not only within our companies, but throughout the world we live in — making it more equitable and just.”

“​We're proud to have Gaingels as investors in Samba and philosophically aligned to bring about a more inclusive world. Gaingels uniquely understands that our success is due in large part to the diversity of our team.​ We are thrilled to celebrate Pride Month this year with a partner that not only believes in our vision of transforming the television viewing experience, but also our larger mission of embracing, accelerating, and elevating the careers of those from all walks of life, across the spectrum of identities," said Navin.

Samba TV will use the new capital to continue to strategically scale its operations, solidify its role within the TV data and analytics space, and fuel its growing footprint, both domestically and internationally.

"Research by McKinsey and others suggest that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially,” said Lorenzo Thione, Managing Director at Gaingels. “Samba TV embodies the attributes that we value - a promising mission, passionate team members, and a work culture that honor's identity, non-discrimination, and inclusion. We are thrilled to support Samba TV’s continued commitment to honoring and accelerating the trajectories of LGBT+ members in leadership roles.”

Samba TV's funding comes on the heels of securing several prominent partnerships in the technology and entertainment space, including Twitter, Google, Disney and Catalina.

About Samba TV

Samba TV is a San Francisco-based data and analytics company focused on a next-generation television experience that helps viewers discover and engage with relevant content, and enables brands and agencies to address and measure that engagement effectively. Samba’s insights are built on the world’s most comprehensive source of real-time viewership data across broadcast, cable TV, OTT, and digital media. Through software embedded in smart TVs, amplified by set-top boxes and mapped to connected devices, Samba TV amplifies media investment and activates cross-screen campaigns. For more information, please visit www.samba.tv and follow @samba_tv

About Gaingels

Gaingels is the leading venture investment syndicate in service of the LGBT community and its allies. Through its network of individual investors and family offices Gaingels has helped deploy over $50,000,000 into 120+ companies since inception. Gaingels invests in companies with LGBT founders and C-suite leaders at all stages of growth, as well as in high-growth companies resolved on building more inclusive teams. The Gaingels network actively supports its portfolio in identifying and recruiting diverse talent to their C-suite and board leadership teams, and fosters a vibrant global community of industry leaders, investors, operators, and entrepreneurs who share a common goal for positive social change through business and successful investments. Gaingels regularly co-invests with select VC leads across a variety of sectors, from technology, to B2B, healthcare and consumer, in competitive and over-subscribed rounds from Seed to Growth/pre-IPO. For more information visit www.gaingels.com 

Media Contacts:

PR@Samba.tv