Pique Action

What Pique Action does

Pique Action is a privately held, Los Angeles-based climate solutions media company founded in 2021 by Kip Pastor. The company produces and distributes documentary-style content designed to drive audience engagement with climate solutions rather than climate doom. Its owned content properties include NextNow (a micro-documentary series profiling climate tech founders with 54+ episodes), UnF*cking the Planet (a six-episode YouTube comedy series directed by Real Time with Bill Maher writer Adam Felber and hosted by Hazel Thayer), Reinventing Tomorrow (a documentary series on climate solutions in food, water, and energy), the Apocalyptic Optimist video podcast hosted by Dr. Dana R. Fisher, and the Pathfinder newsletter written by resident sustainability scientist Alaina Wood. The company also operates the annual Climate Creators to Watch program in partnership with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE), now in its fifth year.

Underlying the editorial brand is a lean production and distribution engine — fewer than 10 employees including Founder/CEO Kip Pastor, VP of Production & Development Hana Leshner, and Manager of Communications Shayna Berglas — that uses Hollywood-adjacent production talent to generate cinematic output distributed across owned website, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a Beehiiv newsletter. To date, the company has produced more than 1,000 videos amassing over 35 million cumulative views.

Pique Action's business model is hybrid. The primary revenue stream is B2B branded content and creative production agency services (scripting, animation, campaign development, distribution, influencer engagement) sold directly to climate tech companies and mission-aligned organizations including Activate, Imagine H2O, Antenna Group, and Climate Nexus. Pricing is custom-quoted and project-based, with multi-year contracts signaled in the company's pricing posture. A secondary revenue stream is sponsorship from mission-aligned partners on editorial content, with explicit editorial separation (companies do not pay to be featured in NextNow). The company is venture-backed via a single $1 million pre-seed round closed in July 2022 and led by climate-focused venture firm Amasia, with participation from Baruch Future Ventures and Fairbridge Park.

Name

Pique Action

Legal name

Pique Action

Website

https://piqueaction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pique Action is a Los Angeles-based climate solutions media company that produces documentary, comedy, and podcast content highlighting climate innovators, and provides branded content production services to climate tech clients including Activate, Imagine H2O, Antenna Group, and Climate Nexus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Media Production

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Motion Graphics & Animation (BPAFAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)

Keywords

• Climate media production
• Branded content services
• Documentary series production
• Creative video agency
• Climate communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Branded Content Production: Pique Action produces custom-built cinematic content for climate tech companies, helping them reach global audiences. They offer campaign development, messaging, creative production, and distribution services for clients seeking to tell their climate stories.
2. Sponsored Content: Occasional sponsorship from mission-aligned partners for content production, clearly noted at beginning of films and in descriptions. Companies do not pay to be featured in NextNow series.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pique Action produces documentary-style climate solutions content across video series (NextNow, UnF*cking the Planet, Reinventing Tomorrow), a podcast (Apocalyptic Optimist), and a newsletter (Pathfinder), while also selling branded content and creative production services to climate tech companies, accelerators, and nonprofits. The company pairs free audience-facing media with paid agency services that include campaign development, scripting, design, animation, production, and distribution.

Product overview

Pique Action is a climate solutions media company that produces documentary-style content across multiple platforms. The core offerings include NextNow (micro-documentaries profiling climate tech startups), the Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast (video podcast hosted by Dr. Dana R. Fisher), UnF*cking the Planet (comedy show), Pathfinder newsletter, and the Reinventing Tomorrow documentary series. They also offer branded content and creative production agency services for climate-focused clients, including campaign development, production, and distribution. The company partners with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on the annual Climate Creators to Watch program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NextNow: Micro-documentary series profiling innovative founders and groundbreaking solutions to the climate crisis.
• UnF*cking the Planet
• Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast
• Pathfinder
• Climate Creators to Watch
• Reinventing Tomorrow

Products and services

• NextNow Micro-documentary series profiling innovative climate tech founders and their solutions to the climate crisis. Each episode identifies a different climate challenge and profiles the teams working to solve it.
• Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast Video podcast hosted by Dr. Dana R. Fisher featuring conversations about climate action, disinformation, organizing, and what individuals can do to make a difference. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
• UnF*cking the Planet Six-episode YouTube comedy series satirically addressing climate change and offering tangible solutions. Directed by Adam Felber and hosted by Hazel Thayer.
• Reinventing Tomorrow Documentary series featuring trailblazers and impacted communities working on climate solutions for food, water, and energy challenges.
• Pathfinder: Uplifting Climate Stories Weekly newsletter written by resident sustainability scientist Alaina Wood, compiling good climate news and stories about climate solutions.
• Branded Content Services Custom-built cinematic content production and distribution services for climate tech companies. Pique elevates client brands through engaging visual storytelling to drive hiring, customer acquisition, and fundraising.
• Creative Production Agency Full-service video and content production including scripting, copywriting, design, animation, motion graphics, voiceover, docuseries, short-form social content, and music scoring.
• Campaign Development & Distribution Services including campaign development, messaging, social strategy, paid distribution, audience development, influencer engagement, targeting optimization, and branded content collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 million+ video views
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• EARTHDAY.ORGflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Partnership for Earth Day 2022 with theme 'Invest In Our Planet.' EARTHDAY.ORG shares clips from Pique Action's NextNow series highlighting climate challenges and innovative solutions.
• Global Warming Mitigation Project (Keeling Curve Prize)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strategic partnership to amplify and tell stories of climate solutions. Pique Action produces and distributes micro-documentaries highlighting Keeling Curve Prize finalists and laureates working on climate solutions that bend the Keeling Curve.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Annual partnership to produce the 'Climate Creators to Watch' list recognizing social media creators making climate content. Harvard Chan C-CHANGE connects creators with scientists for science communication strategy. Partnership began in 2022 and continues annually.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grist: Nonprofit climate media organization producing journalism and storytelling focused on climate solutions. Directly comparable in mission (climate-focused media) and business model (mission-driven content production with some sponsored content), with longer operating history and larger scale than Pique Action.
• Atmos Magazine: Climate solutions storytelling media brand producing long-form journalism, video, and a podcast focused on people working to address the climate crisis. Closely aligned with Pique Action's solutions-oriented positioning and content format mix.
• The Cool Down: Climate-positive news and content brand producing short-form articles, video, and social content. Directly comparable in solutions-focused climate content production and audience-first distribution across social platforms, with significantly larger scale and funding.
• Drilled: Climate crisis podcast and media company producing investigative audio storytelling on climate accountability. Comparable as climate-focused content brand with similar creator-driven production model and audience-first distribution approach.
• Heatmap: Climate-focused independent journalism outlet producing original reporting and storytelling on the climate transition. Comparable as mission-driven climate media brand with similar focus on quality narrative content and climate-tech audience.
• Heated: Newsletter-first climate media brand by Emily Atkin covering climate misinformation and policy. Comparable in mission-driven climate content production, though more focused on investigative journalism and policy commentary versus Pique's solutions storytelling.
• Years Project: Climate storytelling nonprofit producing documentaries and short-form content about climate solutions and impacts. Comparable in nonprofit climate storytelling mission, documentary format, and audience-development approach.

Broad incumbents

• Vox Media (Climate): Major digital media company with a prominent climate vertical producing journalism, video, and podcasts including climate-focused coverage. Overlaps with Pique Action on climate content but operates at significantly larger scale and broader editorial scope.

Others

• Climate Nexus: Climate communications nonprofit that partners with media to amplify climate stories. Listed as a Pique Action client and partner, representing an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Imagine H2O: Water-focused climate tech accelerator and ecosystem builder. Listed as a Pique Action client and is part of the climate-tech ecosystem that Pique serves with its branded content services, rather than a direct content competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PiqueAction
• Xx.com/PiqueAction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pique Action