French media firm Brut. raises €63.4M from Orange Ventures, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, others

France-based Brut., an international video content publisher, focused on news and feature-based, short-form content, announced that it has raised $75M (approx €63.4M) in its Series C round of funding.

According to Dealroom, with this fundraise, the company has now raised a total of €115M in funding to date and is valued at €227M.

Investors

The round was led by Orange Ventures, Orange’s venture capital investment subsidiary, with participation from Lupa Systems and Tikehau Capital. Also, Brut.’s historic investors, such as Artemis and Red River West, are also invested in this round.

Funds for international expansion

The proceeds from this round will help Brut. to further accelerate and extend its activities to new markets such as the US, India, and Africa. In addition, the funds will also help the company to continue to diversify its content by placing emphasis on issues with cultural and social impact.

Short-form video content creator targeting GenZ

Founded in 2016 by Guillaume Lacroix, Brut. covers topics from politics to technology and social justice, culture and more. Currently, the brand creates digital video content for those aged between 18-35 years. It publishes current topics every day in five languages on eight social media platforms with an international reach.

The company is present in 26 countries, including 18 in the Middle East and Africa, a region where Brut. intends to accelerate its development. Also, current investor, Orange, looks to generate new synergies with Brut. on the African continent where the group has 124 million customers.

Besides, Brut. is also a B Corp certified media company for its social and environmental commitments, governance and transparency to the public.

Why Orange Ventures chose to invest in Brut.?

Orange Ventures’ investment strategy is to support future global technological companies such as Brut., to promote innovation in Africa and the Middle East and to contribute to the creation of new sustainable and responsible economic models.

Orange Ventures turned towards Brut. for its innovative use of data production process, editorial know-how, and global ecosystem creation projects, including Brut.Media and Brut.X – dedicated to series, documentaries and films.

Jerome Berger, Chairman and Managing Partner of Orange Ventures says, “By investing in Brut. as lead investor in the Series C round, Orange Ventures is confirming its ambition and establishing itself as one of the main venture capital players in Europe. Brut. is a major media outlet and leader for the new generation with international resonance. We are proud to add this Next40 labelled startup to our portfolio and to contribute to its international development.”