ETN seed round brings in $1.6 million for European tech media relaunch
ETN raised $1.6 million from Axel Springer, Powerhouse Capital and tech angels as it expands its live European tech show schedule.
By Marcus Adeyemi · Startups Editor
· 3 min read
ETN has raised a $1.6 million seed round to expand its European tech media business, with the ETN seed round backed by Axel Springer, Powerhouse Capital and angel investors from OpenAI and DeepMind, according to Sifted. The London-based company, founded by Luke Knight and Ronan Chambers, is relaunching after a short break from broadcasting and increasing its live programming from two shows a week to five.
The valuation was not disclosed. ETN said it has passed 5 million views across YouTube and X, giving the company enough traction to raise from media and technology investors while trying to build a European equivalent to TBPN, the US tech talk show that has become a fixture for startup operators and investors.
Chambers told Sifted the round drew more interest than ETN had expected and that the company ended up declining some prospective backers. That is still an early-stage media raise, not proof of a durable business model, but it gives ETN more room to professionalize production in a category where audience loyalty and guest access matter as much as distribution.
What is ETN trying to build?
ETN is positioning itself as a live video platform for European startup and AI discussion, aimed at founders, investors and policymakers. Chambers told Sifted the company does not see itself as a replacement for traditional reporting, but as an additional forum built around interviews and discussion.
Some of the new capital has gone toward a studio near King’s Cross in London, which Chambers described to Sifted as high-end. The company has also hired Alexandra Best, formerly chief of staff at Bloomberg, the former head of video production at Tottenham Hotspur and four former TBPN employees. ETN also received more than 300 applications for two internship roles in two days, according to Sifted.
Chambers said the team is likely to remain small and that ETN uses AI heavily in its operations. The company did not disclose its current headcount, revenue or unit economics, which leaves open the usual questions for venture-backed media: how much of the audience converts into revenue, and whether production intensity can stay controlled as programming expands.
Why ETN is expanding now
ETN’s pitch is tied to a busier European startup market. Sifted data cited in the report shows London startups have raised €13.4 billion so far this year, while several AI companies in Europe have raised rounds above $500 million. Chambers said ETN had been receiving 60 to 70 story pitches a week while broadcasting only twice weekly.
The company has already hosted founders from Synthesia, Granola and Legora, according to Sifted. Other guests have included UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan and Formula One champion Nico Rosberg. Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, now an adviser to Microsoft and Anthropic, is scheduled to appear on Tuesday.
For European tech, ETN’s raise is a small financing with a clear signal: investor-backed media formats are chasing the same AI and startup attention cycle as the companies they cover. The unanswered question is whether ETN can turn a founder-and-investor audience into a business that supports five live shows a week without depending on novelty or guest names alone.
This story draws on original reporting from Sifted.
