Laminar: Powering the Streaming Revolution
Our investment in Laminar
We are thrilled to announce our investment in Laminar, building foundational infrastructure for the modern and fast-growing global streaming ecosystem.
It should be no surprise that streaming is here to stay. Whether movies, TV shows, TikTok, or YouTube, end-users streaming content directly to a screen they own is an inevitable, one-way door the entire world is walking through. Over 30% of all households (40 million) in the US have already cut the cord. One billion people globally subscribe to streaming video on demand (SVOD services), a number that is expected to grow by almost half a billion people by 2026, with most of the growth coming from emerging markets.
The misnomer is streaming is the exclusive domain of prominent content creators and aggregators like Netflix, Disney, Amazon, and HBO. In reality, estimates suggest over 700 streaming services have launched in the US, UK, and Europe since 2017 alone. As content providers and legacy cable providers look to stay relevant to a customer base that demands a modern viewing experience, inclusive of “live” experiences such as concerts and sports, we expect to see more services emerge.
Unfortunately, building the underlying technology required to properly scale a streaming service and deliver a high-quality customer experience requires expertise usually not found in-house at most companies. So, who will build and scale the infrastructure necessary to support the ever-growing streaming demands of the consumer? Enter Laminar.
Laminar has built the world’s premier no-code video streaming infrastructure platform. Their product provides a full-service streaming solution, including global CDN infrastructure, AI-driven region-specific compliance, subscription plan, tax, payments management, and more. This allows customers like Chaupal.tv to focus on what they do best: sourcing and creating exciting new content.
Laminar’s founders could not be better suited to go after this multi-billion-dollar opportunity. Narendra, Raheel, Tirthraj, Kumar, and Yang are repeat founders with extensive experience across both media and technology. They have deep domain expertise and demonstrated grit, and as global citizens with lived experience around the world, are well suited to attack an opportunity of this global scale.
We believe Laminar is poised to see rapid growth thanks to its robust, end-to-end solution for media companies looking to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service.
We are excited to partner with Leo Capital, Artha Ventures, and Cloud Capital in supporting Laminar as they continue to provide critical infrastructure for an ever-expanding set of global customers and lay the foundation for an iconic business with global reach. Let's go!
Garuda Ventures is a B2B-focused, pre-seed and seed-stage venture firm. Subscribe below to get the latest from us, and visit garuda.vc to learn more.