O'Shaughnessy Ventures Bets $100K on Science Animation Series
Event summary
- O'Shaughnessy Ventures awarded a $100,000 fellowship to science communicator Esther Ikoro on August 6, 2026.
- Funding will expand Wait, What?!, an animated series visualizing abstract scientific concepts.
- First five episodes of the series have garnered over 700,000 views online.
- Ikoro plans to produce multiple new episodes over the next 12 months.
The big picture
O'Shaughnessy Ventures continues to diversify from quantitative investing into creative media, backing projects that blend education with entertainment. The firm's fellowship program represents a strategic pivot toward nurturing niche digital content creators, potentially tapping into the growing demand for high-quality science communication in the educational and entertainment sectors.
What we're watching
- Content Scaling
- Whether Ikoro can sustain audience growth with new episodes and maintain the series' distinctive hand-drawn aesthetic.
- Market Differentiation
- How Wait, What?! will position itself against established science communication platforms like Kurzgesagt or Veritasium.
- Fellowship Impact
- The pace at which O'Shaughnessy Ventures' fellowship program can produce commercially viable content beyond its grant period.
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