Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May haven't just had their hands full with their new Amazon Prime show since their departure from Top Gear – the trio has gotten involved with a new digital startup and it's done quite well in a Series A round of funding.
DriveTribe, co-founded with former Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman and social marketer Ernesto Schmitt, has raised $5.5 million in funding led by Breyer Capital.
The company is aiming to target fans of the old show and auto enthusiasts in general, and will be offering motoring media including video.
Going live in November, it will initially be distributed through Facebook with plans to expand to Snapchat and Instagram.
Along with user-generated content, Clarkson, Hammond and May will be also contributing with celebrity guests.
According to the Wall Street Journal, DriveTribe will be employing native advertising à la Vice Media, as opposed to pursuing traditional online display ads.
Schmitt told the WSJ:
“I think that is the way that advertising is going. I have a lot of car advertisers coming to us. It allows them to target their advertising.”
Founded in December 2015, DriveTribe currently has a team of 32 based in London.
