Start- Up
START UP is a national PBS-distributed television series produced by Start Up Television Project LLC in Detroit, hosted by Gary Bredow, profiling American small-business owners. The privately-held company earns revenue through corporate sponsorships from Amazon, Bluehost, and other SMB-focused brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersDetroit, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Start- Up does
START UP is a national television series produced by Start Up Television Project LLC, a privately-held Detroit-based production company founded in 2012. The show airs on public television stations (PBS affiliates) across the United States and is hosted by Gary Bredow, who interviews small-business owners across diverse industries and geographies about their entrepreneurial journeys. Over 13 seasons, the program has built a catalog of hundreds of small-business profiles and has earned six Emmy nominations, positioning itself as the "#1 Small Business Show On Television."
The product is a single television series — there are no additional modules, sub-products, or platform components — and the underlying technology is conventional television production and broadcast media distribution. The company distributes the program through national PBS affiliate broadcast, a YouTube channel, and social media properties on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, supplemented by a website (startuptelevision.com) with episode archives, branded content, and nomination forms.
START UP generates revenue through sponsorship and advertising rather than viewer fees; the show is free to watch on public television. The sponsor roster is small and concentrated, with Amazon and Bluehost as flagship sponsors and Walsh College, BambooHR, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as core sponsors. Beyond linear broadcast and digital video, the company operates an email newsletter and social content channels aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small-business owners.
Start- Up firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Start- Up
- Legal name
- Start Up Television Project LLC
- Website
- https://startup-usa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- START UP is a national PBS-distributed television series produced by Start Up Television Project LLC in Detroit, hosted by Gary Bredow, profiling American small-business owners. The privately-held company earns revenue through corporate sponsorships from Amazon, Bluehost, and other SMB-focused brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Start- Up industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Programming (Educational Entertainment)
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- First-Run Syndication (Original Non-Network Programming) (MPABAMAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where Start- Up is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Detroit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Start- Up business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Sponsorship and Advertising: The show generates revenue through branded content, sponsorships, and advertising. The website displays multiple ad placements (banner ads, sidebar ads, leaderboard ads) from corporate sponsors including Bluehost, Amazon, Walsh College, and BambooHR.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Start- Up product offering
Product offeringCore offering
START UP is a 6-time Emmy-Nominated national television series that airs on public television stations (PBS affiliates) across America. Host Gary Bredow travels coast to coast interviewing small business owners and documenting their entrepreneurial journeys across diverse industries and geographies. The series has aired over 13 seasons featuring hundreds of small businesses, and is funded through corporate sponsorships and advertising rather than viewer fees.
Product overview
START UP is a single television series offering - a 6-time Emmy-Nominated national TV show that documents the personal stories and business journeys of American small business owners. The show features entrepreneurs across diverse industries and locations, with each season comprising multiple episodes profiling individual businesses. There are no additional modules, sub-products, or platform components; the offering is the TV series itself, which airs on public television stations nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- START UP TV Series A 6-time Emmy-Nominated national television series that shares the stories of American small business owners from coast to coast, featuring interviews with entrepreneurs and their business journeys. Aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs and viewers interested in small business and entrepreneurship education.
Companies that use Start- Up
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Start- Up technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Start- Up partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- AmazonflagshipAmazon is a major sponsor of the START UP TV show, featured in banner advertisements and logo placement on the website. The partnership provides visibility to small business owners interested in Amazon's small business ecosystem and services.
- BluehostflagshipBluehost is a prominent sponsor of the show, appearing across multiple ad placements including hero banners, sidebar ads, and footer placements. Bluehost provides web hosting services relevant to the small business audience.
- Walsh CollegecoreWalsh College sponsors the show, appearing in banner ad placements. Walsh College is an educational institution offering business education relevant to aspiring entrepreneurs featured on the show.
- BambooHRcoreBambooHR is a sponsor of the START UP show, appearing in sidebar and banner ad placements. BambooHR provides HR software for small businesses, aligning with the show's target audience.
- Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)coreMEDC is a regional sponsor supporting the show, featured in logo placements. MEDC promotes Michigan-based businesses and entrepreneurship in the state, supporting small business visibility.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Start- Up competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Small Business Revolution (Deluxe): Deluxe-produced Hulu and PBS series profiling and revitalizing small businesses across America. Same SMB-founder documentary format, same public-television distribution path, and same advertiser audience, making it the closest direct analog to START UP.
- How I Built This (NPR / Gimlet): NPR/Gimlet podcast featuring founder origin stories across industries. Direct competitor for the aspiring-entrepreneur audience and SMB-focused sponsorship dollars, delivered in audio rather than broadcast TV.
- Masters of Scale (Reid Hoffman): Reid Hoffman's podcast and media brand featuring interviews with founders and executives. Targets the same entrepreneur-curious listener, monetizes through sponsorships aligned with the SMB/startup audience.
- Shopify Masters: Shopify's flagship podcast interviewing successful ecommerce founders. Same SMB-founder interview format, operated by a platform sponsor itself, making it both a peer and a potential competitor-sponsor for START UP.
- Gimlet Media StartUp Podcast: Earlier Gimlet podcast documenting the building of a startup. Direct narrative overlap with START UP's founding-story format, distributed as podcast rather than broadcast TV.
Broad incumbents
- The Profit (CNBC / Machete Productions): Marcus Lemonis-led CNBC reality show focused on small-business turnarounds. Larger-budget, higher-profile small-business television franchise with broader cable distribution and broader advertiser base.
- Shark Tank (Sony Pictures Television / ABC): Long-running ABC primetime show featuring entrepreneurs pitching investors. Overlaps in audience (aspiring and existing small-business owners) and SMB-relevant sponsor base, but operates at much larger scale and is unscripted-pitch rather than documentary.
- Hatched (Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment): Crackle/AVOD streaming series showcasing emerging small businesses and entrepreneurial pitches. Comparable small-business reality format delivered via streaming rather than PBS broadcast.
Others
- Inc. Magazine (Mansueto Ventures): Print and digital media brand covering entrepreneurship and small business. Adjacent media competitor for SMB audience attention and advertiser budgets; same end-audience with a broader editorial scope.
- Entrepreneur Media: Long-running business media brand spanning print, digital, video, and events focused on entrepreneurship. Competes for the same SMB-aspirational audience and the same SMB-services advertisers that fund START UP.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Start- Up social profiles
Digital presenceStart- Up financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Start- Up leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Start- Up funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Start- Up M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Start- Up
What does Start- Up do?
START UP is a 6-time Emmy-Nominated national television series that airs on public television stations (PBS affiliates) across America. Host Gary Bredow travels coast to coast interviewing small business owners and documenting their entrepreneurial journeys across diverse industries and geographies. The series has aired over 13 seasons featuring hundreds of small businesses, and is funded through corporate sponsorships and advertising rather than viewer fees.
Is Start- Up a public or private company?
Start- Up is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Start- Up founded?
Start- Up was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Start- Up based?
Start- Up is headquartered in Detroit, United States, in the North America region.
How does Start- Up make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship and Advertising.
Who are Start- Up's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Small Business Revolution (Deluxe), How I Built This (NPR / Gimlet), Masters of Scale (Reid Hoffman), Shopify Masters and Gimlet Media StartUp Podcast. Broad incumbents are The Profit (CNBC / Machete Productions), Shark Tank (Sony Pictures Television / ABC) and Hatched (Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment). Others are Inc. Magazine (Mansueto Ventures) and Entrepreneur Media.
Does Start- Up have an API?
No public API is recorded for Start- Up.
What industry is Start- Up in?
Start- Up's product category is Television Programming (Educational Entertainment). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAC, Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action), with a secondary code of MPABAMAB, First-Run Syndication (Original Non-Network Programming). Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.