Covid-19: Embracing Innovation in Times of Crisis
Corona Crisis: Challenging times for companies, and media outlets are no exception — how can we still assure that operations and events are up and running?
Conferences being cancelled, travel restrictions, adoption of home office: every appointment in the calendar has most likely been disrupted by the spread of the new coronavirus and its consequent crisis worldwide.
These are times that require quick action on the one hand and caution and patience, for individuals as well as companies on the other hand. These are also times to be open-minded and to seek possibilities to operate in this new, temporary reality.
For the media industry, innovation is an ally.
For media houses (publishers, editorial newsrooms, broadcasters, agencies), that means that their capacity to report on the crisis and keep the business running is being put into test.
At next media accelerator (NMA), we see innovation as a valuable mean to recur in challenging times. That’s where startups come into place.
Tech products and tools that are efficient and easy to implement can be extremely helpful for the media industry, supporting professionals to maintain the workflow via switching to online options which can be used remotely out of home.
Here are some examples on how startups from our portfolio can partner up with media houses and event organizers — time to uncover the possibilities of online world. (;
Helping to tell the story: interactive visual data
Visual and interactive data help the audience to better grasp facts. For monitoring the spread of the virus — our portfolio startup 23degrees provides the technology to create live-maps. They have partnered up, for example, with Germany’s main tv-news website, tagesschau.de. Here is their case for tageschau.de. Get interactive graphics and real time monitoring now!
Video interview of audiences — without going out to the streets.
With recommendations to avoid crowds and close interaction in order to prevent the virus from spreading, carrying on interviews might become a tricky task. A tool to bypass this is KlipWorks — it helps to conduct interviews virtually and adds to the home office tool kit for those working in media. This is your road to virtual journalism.
Addressing an international audience? Let it flow with a powerful live-stream.
Your event got called off and you are wondering how to showcase your panel discussion or would like to live stream a press conference? Our alumni team Contentflow is able to live stream any kind discussion/panel/presentation so you would be able to hold it virtually without putting anyone at risk. They have worked with various media houses, the e-sports league as well as the Online Marketing Rockstars (Europe’s biggest Online Marketing Festival). They are experts on event live streaming. Get in touch with them right away.
Keep it social, keep it interactive.
Some experiences are better when shared with others: The UK-based startup Sceenic can help people to have video call and watch events together — online. The Watch Together cloud technology works with any platform, on any device and has been used from broadcasters to e-sports companies to allow people to have the experience of interacting simultaneously while watching an event — be it a football match or a song contest.
Like that, big events can still be watched by a group — but avoiding a crowd. The solution can also be used to carry on high quality online calls and meetings — something every company is already embracing nowadays.
Watch together now!
Subtitles for Live-Streams and Online-Conferences
Our portfolio team Aiconix specializes in video and live-stream subtitles. The perfect solution for online conferences and online events. With an AI-based technology they also enable you to search for keywords within them. Reach out to them here.
Act quickly and #flattenthecurve
Most of all, quick action is required now. Companies should much rather be more precautious than necessary by shifting as much work into the online world as possible. All together we can #flattenthecurve — meaning delaying the spread of the covid-19 infections so the capacities of our European hospitals can cope. Therefore the NMA decided to offer home office to employees and startups.
About the NMA
The next media accelerator (NMA) fosters disruptive solutions for the media industry by accelerating media tech startups every six months. The NMA is an independent accelerator funded by over 30 media outlets in Germany and Austria. NMA invests in early stage media tech startups from Europe, Israel and USA providing innovative solutions for the media. Since its foundation, NMA has successfully built an alumni network of over 69 companies. During the past years a strong international community was created. With several partners on board in the USA, Europe and Israel, we aim to expand and strengthen the hub for media innovation in Europe.
