Funding and wraparound support from the Innovate UK’s Creative Catalyst programme underscores CastRooms’ readiness for market and plays a pivotal role in securing further investment.
CastRooms is an immersive, ticketed livestream platform that allows people at home to feel part of a live event experience. Fans can gather online to watch high-quality broadcasts, react in real time and engage with performers, creating the same energy as in-person shows.
Mitali Mookerjee, Founder of CastRooms said: “In a world where we’re becoming increasingly disconnected, CastRooms is helping to solve digital loneliness by creating live experiences for those people at home who can’t get to the venue. For venues themselves, it’s a new source of income for them, at a time when they’re really struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.”
To make the technology viable, CastRooms needed additional support – and their growth accelerated after joining Creative Catalyst, the £30 million funding programme from Innovate UK designed to support high-potential businesses in the UK.
Unlocking scalable growth with Innovate UK
Mitali said: “The Creative Catalyst grant allowed us to create a product that could have up to 100,000 users on the platform, which meant we could scale in a way that would be commercially viable. It also paved the way for us to put CastRooms on mobile, which was absolutely critical to be able to deliver the product at scale.
There’s no way we could have worked with venues like Band on the Wall, the British Library or Wembley Stadium if we hadn’t done the development work that Creative Catalyst paid for. It gave me the confidence to go out and sell it, knowing that we had an end-to-end product.”
Beyond funding: The wraparound support
Mitali said: “Being part of the Creative Catalyst ecosystem allowed me to see other opportunities that were available to my business. In September 2024, I was selected to join the inaugural Grow Music programme run by the British Phonographic Industry in conjunction with Abbey Road Studios. This put me in the heart of the UK’s music industry and amongst incredible mentors and leaders.”
The broad range of support offered by the Creative Catalyst programme – from funding and training to valuable introductions – has been immensely beneficial to CastRooms, positioning the company for further growth.
Mitali added: “I think my biggest learning is that if you put yourself out there, it’s amazing how many people will rally around you to support you and encourage you and make sure that your business is a success.”
The future
The next milestone for CastRooms is to enhance the user experience and automate the currently manual, behind-the-scenes processes — key steps that will enable the business to scale.
With an ambition to become the go-to solution for every major live venue globally, CastRooms has taken a significant step toward that vision through its involvement in the Creative Catalyst programme.
Mitali said: “In a world where there’s fierce competition for investment, having a project that’s been backed by Innovate UK adds real credibility to the business and sets us apart. It’s like a stamp of approval for investors.”