Ventureland
Ventureland is an independently-owned creative studio producing award-winning documentaries, documentary series, scripted series, branded content, and podcasts for streaming platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, and Hulu, and major consumer brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCulver City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ventureland does
Ventureland is a privately held creative studio founded in 2020 and headquartered in Culver City, California with a London office. It produces documentary films, documentary series, scripted series, podcasts, and branded content for global streaming platforms and major consumer brands. The company was co-founded by John Battsek, formerly managing director of Passion Pictures, together with Prettybird partners Kerstin Emhoff, Paul Hunter, and Ali Brown, consolidating senior production talent from two of the industry's branded and documentary shops.
The studio's core output is professional production services delivered through project-based engagements rather than a proprietary technology platform. Content is produced across unscripted documentaries ('The Rescue', 'WHAM!', 'Bobi Wine: The People's President'), documentary series ('BECKHAM', 'American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden', 'American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson'), one scripted series ('Government Cheese' on Apple TV+), branded campaigns (Square, Sephora, Ford, Meta, Expedia, LA Rams, Stacy's, Indeed), and podcasts distributed via Audible and Apple Podcasts. Distribution is concentrated with three major streaming buyers — Netflix, Apple TV+, and Hulu — and supported by co-production partnerships with Apple Studios, A24, MACRO, and Studio 99.
Revenue is generated through negotiated project fees across documentary, scripted, branded, and podcast production, with no disclosed standard pricing or recurring SaaS-like model. The company has no disclosed external funding rounds, no parent company, and no publicly reported revenue figures; ownership remains with the four co-founders, with Kerstin Emhoff as CEO and John Battsek as Managing Director. Recent expansion of leadership (Head of Film hire Dan Janvey in November 2024, VP of Strategic Partnerships Jesse Uram in August 2024) signals a build-out of film and partnership infrastructure.
Ventureland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ventureland
- Legal name
- Ventureland
- Website
- https://venture.land
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ventureland is an independently-owned creative studio producing award-winning documentaries, documentary series, scripted series, branded content, and podcasts for streaming platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, and Hulu, and major consumer brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ventureland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary and Film Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)
Keywords
Where Ventureland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Culver City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ventureland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Production Studio Services: Ventureland generates revenue by producing documentary series, films, podcasts, and branded content for streaming platforms (Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu), brands (Square, Sephora, Ford, Expedia), and distribution partners. The company was co-founded by industry veterans from Passion Pictures and Prettybird in 2020.
- Branded Content Production: Production of branded content and marketing campaigns for corporate clients including Square, Sephora, Ford, Meta, Expedia, LA Rams, Stacy's Pita Chips, and Indeed. This includes documentary-style branded content and commercial productions.
- Podcast Production: Production of podcasts including 'Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten', 'My Last Meal', 'Stories of the Stalked', 'VS Voices', and 'Death at Deepcut' distributed through Audible and Apple.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ventureland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ventureland is a creative production studio that develops, produces, and delivers documentary films, documentary series, scripted series, podcasts, and branded content campaigns for major streaming platforms (Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu), brand clients (Square, Sephora, Ford, Expedia, Meta, LA Rams, Stacy's Pita Chips, Indeed), and audio platforms (Audible). The studio operates a global creator network to deliver award-caliber non-fiction and branded storytelling across multiple formats.
Product overview
Ventureland is a modern creative studio that produces award-winning documentaries, documentary series, podcasts, branded content, and scripted series. The company's portfolio spans multiple content formats including unscripted documentaries (The Rescue, WHAM!, BECKHAM), documentary series (American Manhunt, Government Cheese), podcasts (Dear Cousin, Death at Deepcut), and branded content campaigns. Ventureland collaborates with world-class talent to deliver content across all genres and mediums, serving streaming platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+, and Hulu, as well as brand partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kylie A three-part Netflix documentary series exploring the life and career of Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue, featuring personal archives, home movies, and new interviews with friends, family, and collaborators.
- The Last First: Winter K2 A documentary chronicling the 2021 expedition attempting the first winter ascent of K2, exploring the tragic outcomes of competitive mountaineering at extreme altitudes.
- Murder in Monaco A documentary unpacking the mysterious 1999 murder of billionaire banker Edmond Safra in his Monaco penthouse.
- Government Cheese A surrealist family comedy series set in 1969 San Fernando Valley, following the Chambers family as they pursue lofty dreams after patriarch Hampton Chambers is released from prison.
- American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden A three-part Netflix docuseries delving into the 12-year hunt for Osama bin Laden, featuring firsthand accounts from people who tracked him down.
- American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson A four-part documentary series investigating the 1994 murder case of O.J. Simpson, featuring new interviews with key figures from the trial.
- BECKHAM A four-part Netflix docuseries following David Beckham's meteoric rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom, featuring never-before-seen footage.
- The Deepest Breath A documentary telling the story of two free divers whose paths crossed at the pinnacle of the freediving world, exploring the rewards and risks of chasing dreams through ocean depths.
- WHAM! A BAFTA-nominated documentary chronicling George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley's journey from school friends to 80s pop icons, featuring archival interviews and footage.
- Bobi Wine: The People's President An Oscar-nominated documentary charting the rise of Ugandan pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine as he fights the ruthless regime led by Yoweri Museveni.
- The Rescue An Academy Award-winning documentary chronicling the dramatic 2018 rescue of twelve Thai boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.
- Ventureland Podcast Collection A collection of investigative and narrative podcasts including Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten, My Last Meal, Stories of the Stalked, VS Voices, and Death at Deepcut, distributed through Audible and Apple Podcasts.
- Ventureland Branded Content Branded content campaigns produced for clients including Square, Expedia, Sephora, Meta, LA Rams, and Stacy's Rise Project, featuring documentary-style storytelling for marketing and brand engagement purposes.
Quantifiable outcome
- Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature for 'Bobi Wine: The People's President'
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ventureland
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ventureland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ventureland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Apple StudioscoreApple Studios co-produces 'Government Cheese' series with Ventureland, starring David Oyelowo. Ventureland serves as executive producer with Ali Brown executive producing for Ventureland.
- MACRO Television StudioscoreMACRO Television Studios co-produces 'Government Cheese' alongside Ventureland. Charles D. King and Marta Fernandez executive produce for MACRO.
- A24coreA24 collaborated on 'The Deepest Breath' documentary along with Motive Films, Ventureland, and RAW.
- Apple Original FilmscoreApple Original Films acquired global rights to 'The Last First: Winter K2', a Sundance selection directed by Amir Bar-Lev and co-produced by Propagate Content, Object Studios, and Ventureland.
- Apple StudioscoreApple Studios co-produced 'The Rescue' documentary about the Thai cave rescue, directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
- Instinct ProductionsminorVentureland is co-producing an Eton College series with Instinct Productions as announced in the Par Avion Pictures slate.
- NetflixcoreNetflix distributes multiple Ventureland productions including 'Kylie' documentary series, 'BECKHAM', 'WHAM!', 'American Manhunt' series, and 'The Deepest Breath'.
- AudiblecoreAudible distributes Ventureland podcasts including 'Death at Deepcut', 'Stories of the Stalked', and 'Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten'.
- Onyx Collectiveminor'Searching for Soul Food' was produced in association with Onyx Collective for Hulu.
- Studio 99coreStudio 99 co-produced the Emmy-winning 'BECKHAM' documentary series alongside Ventureland.
- PrettybirdcoreVentureland was co-founded by Prettybird partners Kerstin Emhoff and Ali Brown. Prettybird is known for innovative branded content production.
- 11filmsminor11films and Ventureland partnered on a documentary about undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ventureland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Prettybird: Branded content and commercial production company co-founded by Ventureland's Kerstin Emhoff, Paul Hunter, and Ali Brown. Strongly comparable on the branded-content and creative-for-brands side of Ventureland's business.
- Propagate Content: Global content studio co-producing documentaries and unscripted series with Ventureland (e.g., 'The Last First: Winter K2'). Highly comparable on format mix and platform buyer base.
- Studio 99: Sports-focused production company that co-produced the Emmy-winning 'BECKHAM' docuseries with Ventureland. Comparable on premium sports-documentary production for global streamers.
- Motive Films: Independent film and documentary production company that collaborated with Ventureland on 'The Deepest Breath'. Comparable on prestige documentary production and co-production partnerships.
- Lightbox: Documentary and non-fiction production company producing series and features for Netflix and other streamers. Comparable on format (premium docuseries) and on platform relationships.
- Passion Pictures: London-based documentary and branded content studio and the prior employer of Ventureland co-founder John Battsek. Highly comparable on format (documentary features and series for global platforms) and on founder/relationship DNA.
Emerging players
- XTR: Documentary-focused production and distribution studio producing premium feature docs and series for streamers. Comparable on documentary-format output and platform-buyer base.
- MACRO Television Studios: Television studio focused on underrepresented voices that co-produced 'Government Cheese' with Ventureland. Comparable on premium scripted series production for major streamers.
Broad incumbents
- A24: Independent film and television studio and direct collaborator with Ventureland on 'The Deepest Breath'. Comparable as a prestige content studio serving streaming platforms, though A24 operates at meaningfully larger scale across narrative film, TV, and documentary.
Regional players
- Instinct Productions: UK-based factual and documentary producer that co-produces with Ventureland (e.g., announced Eton College series via Par Avion Pictures slate). Comparable on premium UK documentary production.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ventureland social profiles
Digital presenceVentureland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ventureland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Ventureland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ventureland 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 Ventureland
What does Ventureland do?
Ventureland is a creative production studio that develops, produces, and delivers documentary films, documentary series, scripted series, podcasts, and branded content campaigns for major streaming platforms (Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu), brand clients (Square, Sephora, Ford, Expedia, Meta, LA Rams, Stacy's Pita Chips, Indeed), and audio platforms (Audible). The studio operates a global creator network to deliver award-caliber non-fiction and branded storytelling across multiple formats.
Is Ventureland a public or private company?
Ventureland is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ventureland founded?
Ventureland was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ventureland based?
Ventureland is headquartered in Culver City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ventureland make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Production Studio Services are the primary driver. The others are branded Content Production and podcast Production.
Who are Ventureland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Prettybird, Propagate Content, Studio 99, Motive Films, Lightbox and Passion Pictures. Emerging players are XTR and MACRO Television Studios. A24 is listed as a broad incumbent. Instinct Productions is listed as a regional player.
Does Ventureland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ventureland.
What industry is Ventureland in?
Ventureland's product category is Documentary and Film Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAB, Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming), with a secondary code of BPAFAAAF, Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.