Mediakraft Networks GmbH was a German multi-channel network based in Munich. The company published and marketed online video content and operated YouTube creator networks in Germany. Mediakraft Networks maintained offices in Munich, Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Warsaw and Istanbul.
History Mediakraft Networks was founded in September 2011Mediakraft Networks GmbH, Statista, 2014 as a network of YouTubers for YouTubersBertram Gugel: Sind YouTube-Netzwerke die neuen Sender?, in: Digitalisierungsbericht 2014: Alles fließt! Martin Boldt: Mediakraft: Klick für Klick zu den Millionen, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, 14 and is regarded as leading German multi-channel network (MCN).Stefan Niggemeier: Kölner Videodays: Ich werd mal YouTuber, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 16Ann-Kathrin Nezik: Internet: Geld verbrennen, aber richtig, Der Spiegel, 21Stefan Mey: Die Youtube-Syndikate , ZDF-Blog Hyperland, 3Martin Dowideit: YouTube-Star Unge kontra Vermarkter Mediakraft: "So ein Scheißhaufen", Handelsblatt, 21 In August 2012 the former CEO of Endemol, Ynon Kreiz, bought shares in Mediakraft Networks.Torsten Zarges: YouTube und die TV-Produzenten: Der Erfolg kommt durch die internationale Hintertür, DWDL.de, 3Scott Roxborough: Germany's Constantin Film Strikes YouTube Promotion Deal With Mediakraft, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 In October 2012 Medakraft launched Ponk, which presented comedy videos and was Germany's first domestic YouTube channel.YouTube goes TV , Mediathek DRadio Wissen, accessed 11 November 2013. Ponk stood for Perfekt orientierte neue Komedians.
In December 2012 Shortcut Ventures invested a seven-figure sum in Mediakraft.Magdalena Räth: Internetfernsehen: Millionensumme für Mediakraft Networks, Gruenderszene.de, 14 In 2013 the company started subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Poland and Turkey. On 10 July 2014 Mediakraft announced it had raised €16M ($23M USD) from various investors. One of the investors was the Cologne-based media group M. DuMont Schauberg.M. DuMont Schauberg stellt Zukunftsprogramm vor, Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 26. By fall 2014 Mediakraft employed 130.Cornelia Winkler: LeFloid verlässt Netzwerk Mediakraft, Berliner Zeitung, 10
Notable German YouTube channels that belonged to Mediakraft Networks include Freshtorge, Die Lochis, Bullshit TV and Nela Lee. Former Network members were inter alia LeFloid, daaruum,Abwandern von Youtube-Stars: "Daaruum" verlässt Netzwerk Mediakraft, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 3 Simon Unge, Dner and ApeCrime.
In January 2015 Mediakraft Networks co-founder and CSO Jan Schlueter and Christoph Krachten left the company and were replaced by Levent Gültan and Spartacus Olsson. Krachten remained a shareholder.YouTuber-Netzwerk: Geschäftsführer Christoph Krachten verlässt Mediakraft, Spiegel Online, 29Mediakraft: Mit-Gründer Christoph Krachten verlässt die Geschäftsführung, Meedia, 29 On 20 March 2015 Boris Bolz, formerly of Red Bull Germany, joined Mediakraft as chief commercial officer.Mediakraft holt Boris Bolz in die Geschäftsführung, DWDL, 20.
Jan Schlueter joined Hashplay Inc, a San Francisco-based company in the Data Visualisation space in January 2015 .
In June 2017 Gamigo acquired Mediakraft Networks for an undisclosed sum.
In December 2021, the company announced that Mediakraft would cease operations.
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