We begin.

This is where the values of public media meet the mindsets of Silicon Valley entrepreneurship.

Our values are rooted in storied media institutions that have been producing media that matters for decades – media that stands for something and creates a strong, positive signal in the ever increasing noise.  Institutions such as This American Life, The New Yorker, and FRONTLINE.

But our point of view is pure Silicon Valley entrepreneurship. Our culture is grounded heavily in design thinking and lean startup methodology. We believe you need to be audience-centered and prototype-driven while seeking a scalable, repeatable, profitable business model.

You have to fail early and often to succeed sooner.

This is the moment where the media institutions of the next generation will be built.

Matter is the disruptive playground where entrepreneurs can start with ideas that may seem small at first, but could very well become the influential media properties of the future. Twitter, Tumblr, and Kickstarter are just the start.

Our entrepreneurs respect and retain the values of today’s institutions but are ready to start from a blank slate, leveraging emerging technologies, seeking new business models, and, most importantly, designing for the needs and transforming behaviors of their audiences.

This is where it begins.

We supports media entrepreneurs through a four-month residential start-up accelerator in San Francisco. We provide investment, space, and, most importantly, a highly collaborative community and culture that helps our teams validate their ideas, iterate their prototypes, and gain traction with their audience.

After a highly competitive selection process, we will invest $50k in five companies who will work elbow to elbow in our loft in SOMA. We’ll kick off in February with an intensive bootcamp followed by regular rhythms of design reviews, educational talks, and coaching sessions that lead up to a demo day in June.  Along the way our start-ups will be surrounded by a supportive community of entrepreneurs, mentors, and organizational partners.

We have one goal in mind – to help our entrepreneurs build the next great meaningful media company.