About
The Viacom18 Startup Engagement Program – VStEP is an initiative by Viacom18 to collaborate with growth stage Startups to step forward together in the fast-evolving world of Media and Entertainment.
VStEP is a pilot-driven program wherein select Startups will get to work with internal business units of Viacom18 and jointly deliver innovation pilots across various business operations, verticals and functions.
Programme
Pitch
Startups will pitch to be selected for internal pitch day to be attended by the senior leadership at Viacom18. The pitches will be evaluated basis – relevance, uniqueness and scalability.
Pilot
Selected Startups from the pitch day will work with internal business teams at Viacom18 to deliver high impact POCs for their offerings.
Partner
A successful pilot opens the window to potential long term strategic partnership with Viacom18.
The VStEP 2.0
VStEP 2.0 launched with 11 Problem statements and 7 focus areas sourced from across the organization.
- Problem statements are immediate and specific requirements of the business and we are seeking directly applicable solutions for them.
- Focus areas are broader areas where we are open to new suggestions and innovations.
Learn More
Problem Statements
- Identify songs played in different programs in our channels
- Detect and share the time in and time out of the songs along with song details like owner, singer, album name etc.
- Compare with the plan shared before the release of the show and highlight deviations
- Use publicly available credible sources to summarize information about competitors
- The information would be about topics like new program launch, brand launch etc.
- Information should be rank order per relevance, recency and other key parameters
- Automated generation of genre-wise competition benchmarking report based on BARC data
- Connect to multiple bank portals to download account statements for cash flow reporting
- Consolidate and present a single view of the statements
- Connect to multiple sources of data like – online bank portals, SAP, mutual fund investment portals, excel feeds etc.
- Present a consolidated view of the accounts
- Scan invoices received and upload data in the appropriate fields of the portal
- Create a consolidated view of online influencers across media and social platforms
- It should provide details of the influencer, like – fan following, areas of interest, personal profile, publications, regions active in etc.
- The information should be updated on a regular basis to keep it relevant with time
- Transcribe interviews given by V18 leadership team, aired on television
- The interviews could be in Hindi, English or other regional languages
- The transcription needs to be in word or other similar readable formats
- Analyze the potential of artists (solo musicians, bands etc.) who are in consideration to perform at events by scrutinizing their online presence, music downloads etc. and categorize their followers by region, interactions, other interests etc.
- Ingest data from different sources like popular music streaming services, music channels, radio and online video players like YouTube and provide a regular report on ratings for songs, genres, artists, albums etc.
- Centralized dashboard integrated with different data sources
- Integrate with systems like - Voiro, DBM, Mixpanel and DFP to present a consolidated view
- Highlight business metrics and provide preferential user access
- Solutions to allow kids to storyboard using basic elements or characters and recreate stories
- The story boarding solution will be integrated with an OTT app.
Focus Areas
Even if the solution is not designed for a Media/ Digital media platform, we are happy to evaluate as the solution could be molded and applied in the Media industry as well.
The VStEP 2.0 Launch
VStEP 2.0 Launched on 27th Nov through an all Digital launch in collaboration with YourStory. The digital campaign recorded an overall reach of 1.5 million+. The Launch story can be read - here
The VStEP 2.0 Pitch Day
12 brilliant startup were selected, after evaluating applications from across the country, to pitch to the senior leadership team at Viacom18.
Sidharth Kedia (Head of VStEP and Corporate Strategy, M&A and Data Sciences and Dy CCO, Viacom18) welcoming the audience to Pitch Day and setting the context
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) addressing the audience on the importance of the VStEP program
Startups presenting high impact presentations addressing the problem statements
Leadership team and senior members at Viacom18 engaged in the startup showcase
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) engrossed in startup showcase
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) congratulating the startups for their successful pitch
Networking session post completion of all the pitches
V18 senior leadership team interacting with the startups post the pitches
The VStEP 2.0 Masterclass
We believe in mentoring the startups at every step to ensure that they are successful not just in their VStEP journey but also in navigating challenges outside the realm of VStEP. Veterans from Viacom18 and the startup eco-system engaged with the startups on topics ranging from Effective Negotiation to Building Great Products.
Mohit Srivastava (Head – Product & Engineering, Voot)
Session on Building great products and engineering teams
Session on Building great products and engineering teams
Sidharth Kedia (Head – Corporate Strategy & Data Science)
Session on Basics of negotiation and effective negotiation
Session on Basics of negotiation and effective negotiation
Avnish Sabharwal (Managing Director – Accenture Ventures and Open Innovation)
Session on Pivoting to stay relevant and ahead of competition
Session on Pivoting to stay relevant and ahead of competition
Gourav Rakshit (Chief Operating Officer – Voot)
Session on Building powerful digital brands
Session on Building powerful digital brands
Arun Devanathan (Vice President – Corporate Strategy & Data Science)
Session on Emerging trends in Media and Entertainment
Session on Emerging trends in Media and Entertainment
Program Lead, Arun Devanathan
presenting a token of thanks to Mohit Srivastava
presenting a token of thanks to Mohit Srivastava
Sidharth Kedia (Head – Corporate Strategy & Data Science)
interacting with startups over Q&A session
interacting with startups over Q&A session
VStEP 2.0 Demo Day
VSTEP 2.0 concluded with the Demo Day where the participating startups showcased their POCs after working closely for 4 months with Business units across Viacom18. The event culminated with the graduation and award
ceremony, and an inspiring statement by Sudhanshu Vats, that set the tone for the future of VSTEP.
Fireside chat with Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO & MD, Viacom18) and Sidharth Kedia (Head - Strategy and Business Development)
FluidAI graduates from VSTEP 2.0 with a POC on Avatar building for Voot
Formcept graduates from VSTEP 2.0 with 2 POCs on competition tracking and campaign effectiveness
One Impression graduates from VSTEP 2.0 with a POC on Influencer led campaign for esports
Saturam graduates from VSTEP 2.0 with 2 POCs on Sales dashboard and BARC dashboard
Judges convene to discuss the POC pitches of VSTEP 2.0 Demo Day
Startups find an excellent opportunity for networking
Startups find an excellent opportunity for networking
Panel Discussion on
Startups of VSTEP 2.0 showcasing their POC
Startups of VSTEP 2.0 showcasing their POC
Startups of VSTEP 2.0 showcasing their POC
Runners up of VSTEP 2.0 : Scapic Innovations for their POC on Storyboarding for kids
Winners of VSTEP 2.0: Trillbit Technologies for their POC on content detection using their ACR tech
The VStEP First Class
The VStEP First Class was launched with 5 specific focus areas aimed at bringing innovative technology solutions to Viacom18 and help solve existing business challenges
Learn More
Areas of Focus
-
AI, Cognitive & Deep Learning
Emerging technologies that can help in prescriptive & predictive decision making for digital video platforms.
- Product Development
- Content Development
- Marketing
- Sales Planning
- Data Enrichment
-
Corporate Finance
Digital Innovations that can impact various verticals of Corporate Finance including financial systems & operations.
- Compliance & Confirmations
- Audit solutions
- Governance, Risk & Compliance
- Data Management
- Financial Forecasting
- Financial System, Control & Operations
- Financial Risk Management
-
Other Promising M&E Innovations
Any product/ solution with the ability to impact the fast-evolving future of the Media and Entertainment industry.
AI, Cognitive & Deep Learning
AI, Cognitive Science & Deep Learning technologies* that can help in prescriptive & predictive decision making for digital video platforms including:Please feel free to reach out to us at vstep@viacom18.com for any further queries & clarifications.
Corporate Finance
Digital and technological innovations have helped make corporate finance teams a strategic part of business; and hence adopting emerging technologies in collaborations with startups / scale-ups alike, is critical for sustained growth. We are looking at innovative solutions across:Please feel free to reach out to us at vstep@viacom18.com for any further queries & clarifications.
Other Promising M&E Innovations
The Media & Entertainment industry is fast-evolving and constant innovation within different parts of the value chain is the only way forward. Keeping this in mind, we are open to looking at innovative products which can directly impact different parts of our business.
We are looking for offerings that may:
Include innovations in the field of content creation, marketing, distribution & monetization.
Allow us to engage better with viewers and end consumers by creating better experiences on air, online, on ground & in shop
Help us strengthen our business partnerships with advertisers, distributors & other business partners.
Please feel free to reach out to us at vstep@viacom18.com for any further queries & clarifications.
-
Corporate Legal Practice
Technologies including AI, ML & NLP systems to enhance operational efficiencies within the legal function of the organization.
- Enhancing process efficiencies by reducing time to input into system
- Improving accuracy of Rights Data inputted
- Improve the data presentation in reporting of the Rights Management System
-
Content & Consumer Insights
Technologies that help in delivering insights using social media activity & viewership for shows to improve understanding of our audience and their viewing habits.
- Consumer segmentation – behavioral, attitudinal, psychographic
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer mapping
- Audience overlap across shows
- Developing a scoring algorithm using data from multiple sources such as TV viewership, digital views, downloads, social media engagement, etc. to rate own and competitor content.
- Building a predictive forecasting model basis historical data and content tags such as genre, star cast, etc. to forecast the viewership of own content.
Corporate Legal Practice
We are looking to leverage innovative technologies like AI, ML & NLP systems to enhance operational efficiencies within the legal function of the organization. This would specifically cater to our content regulation & rights management units within the legal function -A.Content Rights Abstraction for Rights Management
Content and Content rights are the most significant assets / inventory of a media company. We are looking for systems and solutions utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence, that assist in review and abstraction of content rights along with other relevant data from contracts to be inputted into our Rights Management System. This can include:
We can use the existing information in rights clauses and soon to be developed contract lifecycle systems to enhance the machine learning component of the Solution.
This proposed offering would need to speak to Rights Management System which is based on Dot Net and a future contract lifecycle management system as and when launched.
B.Voice, Image and Video Recognition coupled with Machine Learning for Content Regulation
Viacom18 has witnessed an accelerated growth over the last few years and it continues to produce and acquire great programming and content for its channels and OTT platforms. Being a socially responsible broadcaster and content producer, Viacom18 ensures that the content broadcasted/exhibited on its channels and platforms is socially and culturally acceptable and adheres to regulatory and legal norms.
We foresee significant increase in the volume of content being generated in the near future and with the objective to enhance the efficiency of the Content Regulation process, we are looking at systems/solutions leveraging voice, video, image recognition, machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions that can assist in:
a) Minimizing time taken in content review and thereby reduce time taken between production and review/final broadcast version to manage more content reviews in the same duration and facilitate better review of near-live content.
b) Mitigating risks of breaches and assist with thorough compliance of relevant laws, regulations and practices in various countries
Please feel free to reach out to us at vstep@viacom18.com for any further queries & clarifications.
Content & Consumer Insights
In a data centric world, organizations are leveraging emerging machine learning tools, including the digitally evolving media industry, to take data driven decisions. We are looking for offerings that will allow us to enhance our content & consumer insights engine to assist in:
A - Analyzing social media data and activity pertaining to our shows (and that of competitors) to get lead indication into popularity of shows and to obtain consumer insights including:
*Viacom18 currently uses a social listening tool to gather data and are now looking to layer this with an analytical engine to generate consumer and content insights
B - Forecasting the TV viewership of the show and understand the factors that lead to success or failure of a show. This may include:
Please feel free to reach out to us at vstep@viacom18.com for any further queries & clarifications.
The VStEP Launch
VStEP Launched on 28th October in Mumbai with a grand event attended by more than 150 startups from Mumbai and Pune followed by roadshows in Delhi and Bangalore
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) launching VStEP at Mumbai
Indian startup ecosystem experts on the panel at the VStEP launch in Mumbai
Indian startup ecosystem leaders onthe panel at the VStEP roadshow in Delhi
Indian startup ecosystem leaders at the VStEP roadshow in Bangalore
Startups presenting at Mumbai launch, sharing their experience of working with Viacom18
The startup community engaged in the sessions at Bangalore roadshow
The VStEP Pitch Day
12 brilliant startup were selected, after evaluating 200+ applications from across the country, to pitch to the senior leadership team at Viacom18. The founders also speed dated the Viacom18 leadership team 1:1
Achint Setia (SVP, Digital Ventures & Head - VStEP) addressing the audience on importance of the VStEP program
Kanishka Patwal (Senior Director, DV& Program Lead – VStEP) sharing the focus areas and selection criteria
Viacom18 leadership engaged in the startup pitches as the jury for Pitch day
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) expressing his excitement after witnessing all the pitches
Viacom18 champions interacting with the startups in 1:1 sessions
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) congratulating the startups for their successful pitches
A successful Pitch day with Startups & V18 leaders
The VStEP Masterclasses
A novel mentorship program designed fully customized to the VStEP First Class portfolio of startups. Expert from Viacom18 and external startup eco-system engaged with startups on wide range of topics from fundraising essentials to business development with corporates.
Mahesh Balani (Partner, Anthill ventures)
Session on Design thinking
Session on Design thinking
Ankur Warikoo (CEO, Nearbuy)
Role of a CEO in building winning teams
Role of a CEO in building winning teams
Achint Setia (SVP, Digital Ventures & Head - VStEP)
Business development with corporates
Business development with corporates
Devang Mehta (Partner,Anthill ventures)
Investment Do’s and Don’t for a startup
Investment Do’s and Don’t for a startup
Sidharth Kedia (Head – Corporate strategy, M&A & Data sciences)
Investment strategies for startups
Investment strategies for startups
Avnish Sabharwal (MD – Accenture ventures and OI)
Creating win-win solutions with corporates
Creating win-win solutions with corporates
Design thinking session brainstorming - new ideas with the user-first approach
The VStEP Demo Day
The D-day showcased the 7 high impact POCs the VStEP First Class startups built with multiple business units at Viacom18. The graduation ceremony concluded the VStEP First Class.
Sudhanshu Vats (Group CEO, Viacom18) kick starting the demo day
Leaders of Indian startup eco system on panel discussing Startup's role in driving Corporates embrace Technology
The VStEP First class startup presenting high impact POCs
The VStEP First class startup presenting high impact POCs
The VStEP First class startup presenting high impact POCs
The Demo day jury interacting with startup
Tess act winning the demo day showcase with their AI/ML led content regulation solution
Entropik coming 2nd on Demo day showcase with their Neuro-testing solution for short form content
Karza securing the 3rd position on Demo day showcase for their on-demand vendor/customer due diligence solution
VPhrase graduating on the Demo day with a successful POC on NLG led insight generation
Firmway graduating on the Demo day with a successful POC on financial process automation
Sujeet Jain (Group General Counsel and Company Secretary) sharing his views on impact created through the VStEP First Class
Rajasekharan Harikrishnan (SVP, CTO) sharing his views on impact created through the VStEP First Class
Success Stories
At Entropik Tech, our Emotion Intelligence platform Affectlab is intended to help Media Firms optimize content using Consumer's Emotional response to the media. Our engagement with Viacom18 through VStEP enabled us to learn the nuances of Media creation process and further look at the value proposition from the lens of Media Industry, thus arriving a crisp Product Market fit"
“Working with Viacom18 during our Pilot was absolutely wonderful. The learnings and the cooperation we got from the teams led us to smoothly complete our pilots and reach to a point where we could implement our solutions. Under their guidance, we were able to shape our product in way that can be accepted by M&E Industry.”
“VStEP is an excellent initiative to connect start-ups to Viacom18. It helped us in coordinating with all the stakeholders shortening our sales cycle and making us a long-term partner. The VStEP mentorship program was very helpful in giving us an insight on how corporates work and helping us understand the entire sales process across corporates. It also enabled us to understand the core areas of how to scale a start-up, through industry leaders.”
“The VStEP program has been really productive for us. Working with professionals with deep experience in Media and Entertainment industry helped us understand the nuances of the industry and re ne our solution to meet their business requirements. The program also involved workshops on various aspects of building a business which helped answer some critical questions for us. We are now looking forward to getting on-boarded as long term partners.”
“Viacom18's VStEP program for Startups has been a very unique experience for us at Karza Technologies. It helped us engage with the relevant teams across the Company, understand their problem statements and even get a go-ahead within 60 days. The team managing the program was helpful and result oriented which was something of utmost importance to us. Thanks to this program and the mentors, we are now exploring an entirely new market for our products. The program is a must-apply for all kinds of startups”
Mentorship
VStEP has a novel 3-pronged mentorship program designed and customized to the needs of its portfolio of startups
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On-ground Mentorship
Get exposed to the nuances of M&E business
Work
Work with the business/ function leads to solve key business problems or bring in exciting innovations at Viacom18
Learn
Learn on the field working closely with the people running the real show at Viacom18
Discover
Discover and build new business use-cases for your solution at Viacom18.
VStEP Masterclasses
Learn from the best of Viacom18 and Startup Industry experts
Business Development with Corporates
Achint Setia
Fundraising Essentials
Sidharth Kedia, Head, Corporate Strategy, M&A & Data Sciences & Dy. CCO, Viacom18
Building Winning Teams
Ankur Warikoo, Co-founder and CEO, nearbuy.com
Investment Do's & Dont's
Devang Mehta, Partner, Anthill Ventures
Business Development with Corporates
Avnish Sabharwal, MD, Accenture Ventures & Open Innovation, Accenture
Design Thinking Workshop
Mahesh Balani, Partner, Anthill Ventures
VStEP Mentors & Champions
1:1 dedicated guidance from these experienced professionals
Mentor Talk
Intro to VStEP
Sudhanshu Vats, Group Chief Executive Officer, Viacom18
Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music & English Entertainment, Viacom18
Kanishka Patwal
Parita Razdan
Siddharth Kedia, Head, Corporate Strategy, M&A & Data Sciences & Deputy CCO, Viacom18
FAQs
How does the application process work?
The application process begins online, with an application form where you can tell us about your team, your product, and the market you are in. The questions are geared to understand both the business and the founders. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews that can take place in person or remotely.
How do I apply? Do I need to submit a business plan?
You can apply through the Apply Tab. You don’t need to submit a business plan, just fill in the fields in the application form.
What types of companies can apply?
We are looking for innovative growth stage companies with compelling offerings in the areas of :
- Music/ Song detection & recognition
- Competition research
- Automation of competition benchmarking reports
- Cash flow reporting
- Treasury management system
- Invoice scanning solutions
- Consolidated view of online influencers
- Transcription of interviews
- Rate music and artists by analyzing data from multiple online sources
- Analytics dashboard integrating multiple systems
- Storyboarding for kids
How detailed does my idea need to be in the application?
In this initial application process, we ask applicants to describe the market opportunity, the team, the concept that you want to take forward and how you plan to execute it.
Is my age a factor in your selection process?
No, not at all.
Is there an equity stake component for participation in the program?
The program is free for the startups. Viacom18 does not commit any investment and is not affiliated with any investments arrangement made.
What guarantees can Viacom18 make to companies who get into the program?
Viacom18 will ensure that each pitch is duly evaluated by a dedicated team at Viacom18. We'll support companies that are selected by providing expert mentorship, opportunity to develop a compelling POC and access to Viacom18’s extended network.
Is a participating company's product or service guaranteed to be used by Viacom18?
No, there are no guarantees. It's entirely at Viacom18’s discretion as to whether or not we enter into any commercial arrangement with a participating company after the program.
How can I be sure that the information included in the application form are not shared with anybody else?
The information collected as a part of the application form is sourced to evaluate the startups and the offerings for the program. This information will be used by Viacom18 as a part of the selection process for the same. We take pride in our confidentiality policy.
Does Viacom18 provide travel and accommodation for the participants during the program?
Viacom18 will cover travel and accommodation up to a capped limit decided during the finalization of the POC
What kind of offerings/perks does the Startup benefit from during the program?
The key takeaways for the selected startups of the program include:
- Opportunity to work with Viacom18 for a POC and build a strategic engagement
- Access to Viacom18’s network and expertise to find your product/market fit
- Dedicated access to onsite mentors & advisors including leadership team of Viacom18
- Access to industry experts through our technology & mentorship networks
What is the duration of the program?
The Program timelines include:
- Applications Window – 1-month post launch
- Pitch Day – Week of 20th January 2019
- Pilot Stage – February 2019 – May 2019
- Final Demo Day – June 2018
Where will the program be based out of?
This program will be based out of Mumbai, India.
Do I need to be on-site during the program?
No, you will not be required to be on-site throughout the program. However, a successful pilot will need a few in-person dedicated sessions with the BU Champions & Viacom18 mentors/leaders. Viacom18 shall strive to get the best support to all the selected startups -to ensure a successful pilot.
Contact Us
About Viacom18
Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India's fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of Viacom Inc and the Network18 Group, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching people on air, online, on ground, in shop and through its cinema.
