What OKRE does

OKRE (Opening Knowledge across Research and Entertainment) is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee, founded in 2020 and headquartered in London, that operates as a convening intermediary between the entertainment industry and the research/lived-experience communities. Its mission is to develop entertainment content (film, TV, games, audio) that addresses misleading perceptions and creates measurable social impact by embedding academic expertise and personal lived experience into productions.

The organisation's core offerings are programmatic rather than commercial products. The OKRE Fund provides grant funding to development-stage entertainment projects involving cross-sector collaboration; the OKRE Network is a curated database connecting entertainment professionals with researchers and lived-experience contributors; OKRE Events include the annual Summit (held 2022, 2024, 2025) plus Development Rooms co-hosted with BFI; and the Content Hub aggregates editorial, podcasts (including 'That's Me On Screen'), and reports. Vertical programmes address specific themes: Laughing Matters (comedy and climate, with Climate Spring and BAFTA albert), UK Video Games Impacts, and Experimental Stories. OKRE does not develop proprietary technology; its competitive capability is curation, matchmaking, and convening.

OKRE's revenue model is grant-based. As a registered charity (no. 1189257), it receives income from founding partners Wellcome and UK Research and Innovation and distributes funds onward to grant recipients. There is no pricing model, subscription, or fee-based service. Customer segments are entertainment creators (writers, producers, game developers), academic researchers, people with lived experience, and institutional funders. Operational headcount is 1-10, indicating a small team orchestrating a disproportionate programme portfolio and partner network anchored by major institutions.

Name

OKRE

Legal name

OKRE: Opening Knowledge across Research and Entertainment

Website

https://okre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OKRE is a UK charitable organisation founded in 2020 that connects entertainment creators (film, TV, games, audio) with academic researchers and people with lived experience to develop socially impactful content via grant funding, convening events, and a curated network database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

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. Grant-making (OKRE Fund): OKRE operates the OKRE Fund, which provides financial support to early-stage entertainment projects (film, TV, games, audio) that involve cross-sector collaboration. As a grant-giving charity, OKRE receives income from donors and partners and distributes it as funding to eligible projects.
2. Partnership and Sponsorship Revenue: OKRE generates income through partnerships with founding partners (Wellcome, UK Research and Innovation) and other organizational sponsors to co-fund events, research, and development activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OKRE is a charitable organization that connects the entertainment industry (film, TV, games, audio) with academic researchers and people with lived experience to develop content with measurable social impact. It operates the OKRE Fund, which provides development-stage grant funding to entertainment projects involving cross-sector collaboration, and runs an annual Summit, Development Rooms, and topical programmes (Laughing Matters, UK Video Games Impacts, Experimental Stories). It also maintains a curated network database that introduces entertainment creators to credible researchers and lived-experience consultants.

Product overview

OKRE (Opening Knowledge across Research and Entertainment) is an entertainment impact charity that operates as a catalyst for entertainment content challenging misleading perceptions. The organization offers a unified platform connecting the film, TV, and gaming industries with researchers and lived experience. Its core offerings include the OKRE Fund (grant funding for collaborative entertainment projects), the OKRE Network (curated database connecting stakeholders), OKRE Events (annual summits and development rooms), and the Content Hub (resource library). Additional programs address specific topics like Laughing Matters (comedy and climate) and UK Video Games Impacts, while the That's Me On Screen podcast provides ongoing editorial content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OKRE Fund Funding program providing financial support to development-stage entertainment projects (film, TV, games, audio) that bring together creative collaboration between researchers, lived-experience experts, and entertainment professionals across topics including mental health, climate, representation, women in STEM, LGBTQIA+, and international development.
• OKRE Network Curated network database connecting entertainment industry professionals with academic researchers and people with lived experience, storing detailed professional profiles and project information used to make targeted introductions between members with complementary goals.
• OKRE Events (Summit and Development Rooms) Annual flagship Summit plus working Development Rooms that convene entertainment creators, academic researchers, lived-experience experts, and charity partners to build cross-sector collaboration on impact-led content.
• Content Hub Centralised platform curating and sharing news, insights, reports, podcasts, videos, and resources organised by type (News, Insights, Podcasts, Video, Reports) and subject matter (Climate, Health, Mental Health, Representation) to support and inspire the OKRE community.
• That's Me On Screen Podcast Original OKRE podcast hosted by comedian Evelyn Mok featuring conversations with people from inside and outside the entertainment industry about how they see themselves portrayed on screen. Available on Spotify and Apple Music.
• Laughing Matters Programme supporting comedy writers, producers, and performers who want to address climate issues in their work through practical and creatively-attuned support, including analysis of climate themes across 50 years of comedy and a toolkit of creative strategies for comedy writers.
• UK Video Games Impacts Programme examining and measuring the social impact of video games content, with a focus on UK games.
• Experimental Stories Programme supporting experimental entertainment content involving research collaboration, including commissioned works showcased at OKRE events.

Quantifiable outcome

• MTV Shuga series led to a surge in demand for HIV self-testing kits, demonstrating measurable health behavior change from entertainment content.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BAFTA albertcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021OKRE works with BAFTA albert on the Climate Content Pledge, which was signed by 12 UK broadcasters and streamers representing 70% of UK TV/film viewing time. OKRE's Laughing Matters programme specifically addresses how comedy can tackle climate issues as part of this broader initiative.
• Climate SpringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Spring is a climate-focused entertainment organization that collaborated with OKRE on the Laughing Matters programme, co-publishing an analysis of climate themes across 50 years of comedy and developing a toolkit of creative strategies for comedy writers.
• BBCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BBC Comedy Collective collaborated with OKRE on a pilot event where academics shared climate research with comedy writers. The BBC is also represented at OKRE Summits and Development Rooms.
• BFI (British Film Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFI co-hosts Development Rooms with OKRE, including an 'Inner Dialogues' session on Mental Health that brought together creatives and researchers. BFI's Lizzie Francke is a regular contributor. BFI Doc Society co-funded My Blonde GF.
• ITVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITV is highlighted by OKRE as a partner whose drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office demonstrated the power of entertainment to drive social change. ITV participates in OKRE events and programming.
• GuardianminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Guardian distributed My Blonde GF via Guardian Documentaries, providing a platform for the OKRE-funded film to reach audiences. Premiered on Guardian website in October 2023.
• Childline / NSPCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Black Dog film team collaborated with Childline experts and young people with lived experience to ensure authentic representation of mental health issues, grief, and the care system in the film.
• Glasgow Centre for Population HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for The Fish That Never Swam documentary, providing data on Glasgow's health inequalities that informed the film's narrative through filmmaker Kirsty MacKay's lived experience of the city.
• Men's Matter (Scotland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization consulted during development of The Fish That Never Swam, a documentary exploring health inequality in Glasgow through lived experience.
• MTV Staying Alive FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTV Staying Alive Foundation is the producer of MTV Shuga, an award-winning TV drama series covering HIV and sexual health. OKRE has featured MTV Shuga at its Summits, examining how entertainment can drive behavior change.
• Paramount Global (VIS Social Impact)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParamount's VIS Social Impact studio, led by Georgia Arnold, collaborates with OKRE on entertainment-for-good initiatives. Arnold spoke at OKRE Summits about MTV Shuga and social impact storytelling.
• University of CambridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOKRE connected HTM Productions with Professor Kourosh Saeb-Parsy from Cambridge University to consult on a TV drama, improving the accuracy of medical storylines.
• University of NottinghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Paul Crawford from University of Nottingham's Centre for Social Futures worked on the 'What's Up With Everyone' mental health campaign with Aardman Animations, reaching 18 million people.
• University of BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJennifer Allsopp from University of Birmingham organized focus groups with Windrush era immigrants and their descendants to gather firsthand accounts for the Windrush Tales video game.
• University of KentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Afroditi Pina from University of Kent collaborated with Tyke Films on My Blonde GF, providing forensic psychology expertise on sexual violence, gender equality, and victimisation.
• Christians Against PovertyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity consulted during development of The Ceremony to gather authentic stories from migrant communities in Yorkshire.
• Bradford Central FoodbankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity consulted during development of The Ceremony to gather authentic stories from migrant communities in Yorkshire.
• Salahdin MosqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMosque consulted during development of The Ceremony to gather authentic stories and ensure accurate representation of Muslim burial practices in the film.
• Climate PsychologistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate consulting body connected with Max & Millie (OKRE-funded animated TV series) via the OKRE Network, providing research on climate change for the children's programme.
• Wellcome Trust / OKRE ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wellcome-OKRE partnership facilitated the connection between TV producers and Professor Kourosh Saeb-Parsy. Wellcome's involvement gave the production company initial confidence in the credibility of the collaboration.
• Sundance Institute (Sandbox Fund)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOKRE shares opportunities from the Sundance Institute's Sandbox Fund, which offers grants and engagement events for artists exploring science-culture storytelling through innovative narratives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sundance Institute: Sundance Institute runs the Sandbox Fund, which offers grants and engagement events for artists exploring science-culture storytelling through innovative narratives — almost identical model to OKRE's Fund, and explicitly shared with OKRE's audience.
• Doc Society (formerly BRITDOC): Doc Society funds and supports documentaries with measurable social impact, including co-funding OKRE-supported My Blonde GF with BFI. Closest direct peer in mission and operating model.
• One World Media: One World Media is a UK charity that supports media coverage of the Global South and underrepresented stories, with fellowships and grants. Comparable cross-sector convening model and funder-creator focus.
• MTV Staying Alive Foundation: MTV Staying Alive Foundation produces MTV Shuga, an entertainment-for-impact HIV series that OKRE has featured at its Summits. Same entertainment-driven social-impact model, scaled globally.
• Climate Spring: Climate Spring is a climate-focused entertainment organisation that co-developed OKRE's Laughing Matters programme. Direct peer: focuses on climate storytelling in entertainment with the same intersectional funder-creator model.
• BFI Doc Society: BFI Doc Society is a UK documentary fund co-administered with Doc Society that has directly co-funded OKRE-supported films. Direct peer in UK documentary funding for social impact.

Broad incumbents

• Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Paul Hamlyn Foundation is one of the UK's largest arts funders, supporting creative and cultural projects with social impact. Comparable as a larger UK philanthropic body funding arts and social change, though broader in scope than OKRE.
• Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Hot Docs runs industry programmes, funds, and cross-sector events for documentary makers focused on impact. Comparable as a larger, longer-running convening organisation in the impact-documentary space.
• Tribeca Film Institute: Tribeca Film Institute supports diverse storytellers and impact-producing across film, TV, and interactive media. Comparable US-based institution with overlapping entertainment-and-impact agenda.

Others

• Creative Scotland: Creative Scotland is Scotland's public arts funder, supporting screen and other creative projects. Thematically adjacent public-sector counterpart that funds similar impact-led cultural content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/okresocial
• Instagraminstagram.com/okresocial
• Xx.com/okresocial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 OKRE