Iconic children’s programme Sesame Street is adding venture capital to its portfolio, with its not-for-profit arm the Sesame Workshop, partnering with Collaborative Fund to create the all-new Sesame Venture.

Designed to help shape the future of technology for kids, Sesame Venture will create an investment portfolio focused on education, health, and wellness, media, family development, social and cultural development and food. Much of the education focus could see the Sesame Street IP harnessed for educational exhibitions in museums and 'edutaintment' ventures.

As part of the partnership, Collaborative Fund will provide early-stage startups with as much as US$1m (€911,000, £687,000). In addition to the investment, startups will also be given access to networking opportunities and useful data provided by the Sesame Workshop.

While Collaborative Fund will oversee management of the project, Sesame Workshop will be actively involved in selecting appropriate ventures based on the Sesame Workshop’s history and experience of working with children and with children’s programming.

Startups are yet to be chosen, but Sesame Workshop says they could be anything from educational tools, to fresh food startups, to learning-based fun. Assuming it’s appropriate for the startup, Sesame Ventures says it will also consider chosen projects using the Sesame Street characters in their marketing and promotion.

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