MarTech startup POCKLA has announced it has raised £1.6 million to scale its proprietary AI-powered content strategy and creation platform in a seed funding round led by Venrex. Other high-profile investors and advisors joining the round include The Sidemen’s VC arm Upside Ventures, Love Ventures, Shuttle, and Syndicate Room, plus a wealth of industry heavyweights including Rich Waterworth, formerly at TikTok, Dan Cobley, previously Head of Google UK/Ireland, and Michael Chock and Ryan Quinn, formerly at MiQ.
POCKLA’s vision to help marketers and brands create like the world’s best content creators brought YouTube’s biggest group, Sidemen, to the table as investors and partners. With over 146 million subscribers, the British YouTube group is rewriting the content playbook, driving massive commercial success with multiple consumer brands and now venture capital.
POCKLA was born out of co-founders Hugo and Rupert’s recognition of the shift in modern media and a new medium of dominant content. Social platforms are driven by genuine, interactive, and authentic exchanges between creators and their communities, with 73% of consumers preferring short-form video when exploring products or services. Authentic exchanges captivate audiences through entertainment or inspiration, pushing traditional, product-centric messaging to the sidelines as social algorithms and users prioritise authenticity.
