RightNow Media, Charity Bank, and more

Your weekly update on Christian-related startups, founders, and VC

March 07, 2023

Good Morning!

Welcome to this week's edition of Faith Factor, your weekly summary of Christian-related startup and VC news.

Startup of the Week: RightNow Media

Established fully in 2009, RightNow Media has created the world's largest video library of Bible study resources. Originally, the founders sought to connect young adults to mission opportunities in other countries by filming documentaries of overseas missionaries and sharing them with U.S. churches. As the organization grew and developed, they saw a way to help Christians live out their faith domestically as well. They began producing small group video curriculum under the name BluefishTV, ultimately changed their name to RightNow Media, and launched the first version of their online platform in 2011. Now, the company's library has over 25,000 individual Bible study videos, and is used by churches and small groups across the world. They also create their own content, having produced around 75 original video Bible studies in 2022. So far, RightNow Media has served over 20,000 churches, schools, and organizations– and continues to rapidly grow.

Faith-Based News

Startups

  • Charity Bank received a 1.1 million British pound investment from the Church of England to support investments into Christian nonprofits and startups (link)

VC/PE

  • None this week

Incubators, Programs and Competitions

  • The World Evangelical Alliance and FaithInvest are collaborating to promote faith-based values in investing (link)

Impact News

Startups

  • Rubi Laboratories, which develops biodegradable fibers from carbon dioxide, raised $8.7 in seed funding (link)

  • SafKan Health, which makes automated ear-cleaning devices that make the removal of earwax much easier, raised an $8 million Series A led by Unorthodox Ventures (link)

  • Kindbody, a fertility clinic network, raised $100 million (link)

  • Cargo Therapeutics, a biotech startup, raised a $200 million Series A (link)

  • BlocPower, a climate-tech startup that aims to reduce energy costs and electrify buildings, raised a $24 million Series B led by VoLo Earth Ventures (link)

  • TandemAI, which aims to reduce the cost of advanced drug development, raised a $35 million Series A (link)

  • Headway, a mental health startup that operates a network of virtual therapists, is expected to receive a new $100 million investment from several major VCs (link)

  • Bitwise Industries, a tech skills training startup, raised $80 million (link)

  • Skydio, a maker of AI-powered drones, raised a $230 million Series E (link)

  • Astroscale, which services satellites, raised a $76 million Series G (link)

Around the Network

Select Articles

  • Pastor makes $3,000 a week through his ChatGPT side hustle (link)

  • Purpose-Driven Business Models Propel Faith-Based Efforts (link)

Select Podcasts

  • How Entrepreneurship Has Transformed a Physician's Work (link)

Job Boards

All Levels

See you next week!