Tech Pitch: The Wall of Comedy

Company name: The Wall of Comedy
Founders: Joivan Wade (24), Percelle Ascott (24) and Dee Kaate (30)
Background: Actors, comedians, producers and writers
Based in: London
Launched: 2015

Very simply, what does your tech start-up do?

• We produce original content for digital and TV platforms. We also license content and distribute to our network of over four million followers, generating over 300 million views per month on our content, resulting in over 3.6 billion views annually.
• As part of our business, we also have a talent arm that manages the careers of up-and-coming actors, comedians and writers, some of whom have established themselves online.
• We work with brands to produce content that helps get their key messages across to millennial audiences. We often publish the content across our platforms and promote via our affiliate network of influencers.

Tell us why there’s a need – what do you disrupt?

We’re a disrupter because there is no platform quite like ours. We take risks on content (in terms of the shows and formats we produce) unlike major broadcasters, and crucially we understand how to connect with the millennial audience because we are that audience!

This also means we’re able to support brands when they ask to work with us on their brief, giving them a voice to connect with this particular audience – this is one of our biggest attributes.

We’re also uniquely placed to nurture aspiring young creatives and content creators, helping them to produce content that suits their needs and then hopefully monetise it.

Are you funded?

We are self-funded; every penny we have made has been from our own initiative – creating content and monetising it through brand deals as well as YouTube and Facebook revenue.

What were you doing before starting?

My background (Jovian Wade) is as an actor. I studied at the BRIT School for performing arts, which is where I met Percelle. Shortly after that we met Dee and the three of us went onto create our own online TV show. I was 18 at the time.

The show Mandem on The Wall went from YouTube to TV’s Channel 4 within its first four months after hitting millions of views. I have also appeared in TV shows as a lead character in Eastenders, Doctor Who and more, working with the likes of Lenny Henry, David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Catherine Tate and many more of the UK’s comedy greats.

What’s the best thing about where you’re based?

We are based in London, specifically in the Old Street/Shoreditch area, and share the same building as UniLAD. Our team has worked closely with them in the past, which has been a great experience as UniLAD has the most-viewed Facebook platform in the world! Our collaborations have been beneficial in terms of broadening our knowledge about this industry.

The Wall of Comedy has a great pool of talent around us and are always the first to spot them and help them to take their careers to the next level.

The Wall of Comedy will be appearing at the Festival of Marketing at Tobacco Dock on the 4th of October, talking about ‘Comedy – a universal language, providing you with the ultimate performance in content marketing’.

Looking to start up in London? Browse our free guides to running a business in the capital here.