MUBI Secures $100 Million as Media Startup Funding Slows
While media startup funding remains slow, MUBI stands out with a major $100 million investment from Sequoia Capital.
MUBI Attracts Major Investment Despite Slow Market
Media startup funding has declined sharply compared to the highs seen a few years ago. However, MUBI, a global streaming service for independent films, has bucked the trend by raising $100 million in fresh funding.
The investment, led by Sequoia Capital, highlights growing interest in niche platforms like MUBI even during a quieter period for media-related ventures.
What is MUBI?
Founded in 2007 and based in London, MUBI offers a curated streaming service focused on independent, international, and festival-acclaimed films. The platform promotes itself as a destination for discovering bold and artistic cinema from around the world.
Subscribers pay a monthly fee for access to a carefully selected library of films, often featuring award-winning and critically acclaimed titles.
Advertisement
Multiplier | The World's Leading Global Human Platform
Multiplier is a leading global employment platform that manages employment, payroll & compliance for International Teams. Multiplier makes it easy to hire, onboard, manage, and pay employees and contractors around the world. We offer end-to-end global employee management – All in one place!
Funding Trends in Media Startups
Media-related startups have struggled to regain momentum after peaking in 2021. In the last two years, funding in the sector has hovered around $10 billion annually, a significant drop from earlier records.
So far, 2025 appears to be following a similar pattern. While platforms like MUBI haven’t been in the spotlight as much, AI-driven startups in the media industry are drawing significant investor interest.
AI Media Startups Also Gaining Ground
Some of the largest recent funding rounds in media have gone to companies working with AI. For instance:
- Runway, which develops AI tools for media creation, raised $308 million in April.
- ElevenLabs and Synthesia, both offering AI-based voice and video tools, secured $180 million each.
Despite the buzz around AI, MUBI’s funding round shows there’s still room for human-curated content platforms to succeed.