Inshorts Takes Top Honor at Global MediaTech Pitch Day 2025

On 26 September, Raw Ventures, in collaboration with Harbour.Space Institute of Technology and Tech Barcelona, welcomed the MediaTech community to Barcelona for the Third Annual Global MediaTech Pitch Day.

The event has grown into a special meeting point for innovators, investors, and visionaries shaping the future of media. This year, more than 500 startups from across the globe applied to participate, and a selected group of finalists took the stage to showcase their traction and execution. What united them all was the ambition to push creative and technological boundaries.

The Jury Award went to Inshorts, a South Korean company already known for its work on BTS Movie Weeks and collaborations with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho. Founded by Andy Lee, Inshorts develops AI tools that restore and upscale footage to 8K, repair formats, and enable digital product placement. Its technology has given a second life to classic Korean animation, Japanese anime, and independent cinema – helping to preserve cultural heritage while also proving to be commercially viable. The startup has already reached break-even and, as this year’s jury winner, received the €10,000 prize.

Inshorts stood out not only for its cutting-edge technology, but also for the speed and clarity with which it proved its product in the market. “Product–market fit remains one of our key criteria. The winner distinguished itself by having already demonstrated it in practice, while the overall quality of finalists was exceptionally strong,” said Victoria Palatnik, Managing Partner at Raw Ventures.

Meanwhile, the audience’s recognition went to Aiode, founded by Idan Dobrecki, a US-based music startup backed by Abbey Road REDD. Aiode enables musicians to collaborate with AI-powered “virtual musicians” inspired by real performers. Unlike prompt-based systems, its platform is built on consensual training data and a revenue-sharing model, ensuring that artists are compensated when their styles are used. It’s an artist-first vision of AI in music – protecting creators while opening new frontiers for expression.

The finalists together showed just how diverse and vibrant MediaTech has become. From Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK, France, Central Europe, and the US, they tackle challenges across the spectrum – from reimagining live event planning and rights management to making Hollywood-grade sound more accessible and turning static media into interactive experiences. Raw Ventures extends sincere thanks to Scout Venues, Breakevent, Readmio, Exordi, Feature.io, Krotos, and Backup Systems. Each demonstrated significant potential and remains under consideration for possible investment as we enter the active phase of investment analysis. These selected ventures now have the opportunity to secure up to €3M in funding for further growth. 

Beyond the competition, the day also featured three compelling panels that looked at the future of MediaTech from every angle. Discussions ranged from the opportunities and challenges of AI-generated content and cybersecurity to strategies for scaling Spanish innovation globally. A recurring theme was clear: the most exciting opportunities emerge where creativity meets technology. Experts from legacy media, startups, and investors agreed that the future will be built on collaboration between disruptors and established players – with transparency as a guiding principle.

This year’s event was another step towards building a stronger global MediaTech ecosystem, and the journey continues well beyond this stage. It’s clear that the future of MediaTech is already here, and it’s global, diverse, and full of possibilities. We are proud to be a part of it, and look forward to seeing the evolution of these incredible companies.