Edge Investments (Edge), a specialist investment house focused on the creative industries sector, has taken a stake in Antidote Productions.
Antidote is an independent, factual TV production company based in London, working with major UK and international broadcasters. The Company was founded by Laura Jones, BAFTA and RTS award-winning filmmaker, and factual TV expert, Leila Monks.
Antidote has fast built a reputation for creating critically acclaimed shows including: powerful documentary Professor Green: Suicide and Me (BBC 3), which was nominated for five awards (Broadcast Award, BAFTA Craft Award, Press Guild Award, Televisual BullDog Award, and Mind Media Awards) and YouTube Revolution for National Geographic Channels Global, which featured access to Google and Breaking into Prison, one of the highest rating shortform series on BBC iPlayer with new talent Livvy Haydock. In just two years, the Company has built a track record for fostering new TV talent, tackling hard-hitting subject matter and working with broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic.
The company is currently in production on projects for broadcasters in the UK and North America. The business plans to capitalise on the momentum it has generated thus far by leveraging its ability to work with fresh and existing talent both on and off-screen together with its skills in gaining access and filming in remote locations to grow rapidly.
Led by Edge Investment Manager Jo Smith, this marks the first investment from the Edge Creative Enterprise Fund into UK television production since it stated its commitment to the sector in November 2016. Jo will take up a seat on the board of the Company.
The deal originated from the successful 2016 Indielab programme, led by Victoria Powell, which aims to equip independent production companies with the knowledge, skills, networks and investment they need to scale their businesses.
Edge Investment Manager, Jo Smith, says: “We are thrilled to partner with Laura and Leila: in a short space of time they’ve built a fantastic business and have a clear vision on how they want to grow. We believe Edge has the perfect breadth of experience to support Antidote as it enters the next stage of strategic growth. We were impressed by the team’s clear creative spark and ambition; Antidote is an exciting home for fostering and nurturing talent in one of our key sectors, which further fulfils our TV production investment ambitions.”
Laura Jones and Leila Monks, Co-Founders of Antidote, jointly, says: “We are really excited about this deal. We’ve worked hard to build a company and brand that we’re extremely proud of. Partnering with Edge, a leading name in the creative industries, will enable us to capitalise on the momentum we’ve created thus far and realise the full potential of Antidote both here and internationally.”
