Co-led by Burda Principal Investments and North Base Media, funding fuels the expansion of Kaleidoscope’s genre-defining podcast platform, delivering high-impact science and tech narratives for a global, educated audience

NEW YORK, NY – Monday, July 14, 2025 – Kaleidoscope, the New York-based podcasting company redefining science and technology storytelling, today announced a Series A raise co-led by Burda Principal Investments, a division of Hubert Burda Media, and North Base Media, the international investment firm founded by Marcus Brauchli, former top editor of The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and Saša Vučinić, who started the Media Development Loan Fund. The round also includes participation from high-profile prior investors such as The Raine Group, former MTV leader Tom Freston, and Nimble Ventures, a VC firm that primarily targets areas such as technology, healthcare, and biotech. 

The funding cements Kaleidoscope’s position as the frontrunner in podcasting’s most exciting growth category, science and technology storytelling. As podcast deals heat up across categories, Kaleidoscope is committed to upholding journalistic principles while harnessing the full power of podcast storytelling to help listeners make sense of our modern world.

For brands that are investing trillions of dollars to build the future and harness new breakthroughs in science and technology, the demand for smart content to decode complex stories, with journalistic rigor, has never been higher. This funding positions Kaleidoscope as the category leader in a landscape frequently dominated by politicized and divisive content. 

Kaleidoscope will utilize the new capital to serve the high demand for podcast storytelling amongst Gen Z and next-gen audiences by creating a home for gripping, culturally relevant narratives that resonate with the company’s highly educated, affluent listeners, a demographic coveted by both commercial partners and advertisers. The funds will also drive the expansion of Kaleidoscope’s tentpole shows, development of new intellectual property (IP), and adaptation of its growing IP library into film and TV with Hollywood’s leading studios, with some already in development. 

Additional forthcoming content will feature some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including multi-platinum artist and producer John Legend and actor, creator, and entrepreneur Rob Mac.

Founded by Peabody and Emmy-winning producer Oz Woloshyn and former iHeartMedia SVP Mangesh Hattikudur, Kaleidoscope has enjoyed both critical acclaim and commercial success, most notably with smash-hit show ON Musk featuring Walter Isaacson, which topped the Apple Podcasts chart upon release. The leadership team also includes COO Constantinos Linos and CSO Kate Osborn, former VP at Vice Media Group, along with an all-star advisory board that includes Freston, Joanna Coles (Hearst Magazines and The Daily Beast), Andrea Wong (Liberty Media), and former CEO of CNN and the Aspen Institute and award-winning journalist Walter Isaacson, who will return to Kaleidoscope to host a new slate of shows including Building The Future and a third season of ON with Walter Isaacson, telling the story of Nobel Laureate, Jennifer Doudna.

“Kaleidoscope is building for an audience that’s educated, globally minded, and culturally engaged—with underserved demand to understand how their lives are being changed by rapid advances in science and tech,” said Woloshyn. “We have seen how podcast networks like Acquired, Smartless, and Call Her Daddy have become go-to platforms for passionate audiences. At Kaleidoscope, we plan to fill a massive white space in science and tech storytelling with depth and honesty, to make Kaleidoscope the definitive podcast platform to unpack the  scientific renaissance.” 

“From AI to biotech, science and technology drive the world we live in, shaping culture and everyday life,” said Hattikudur. “We’re eager to tap into the richness of those stories and tell them the vibrancy they deserve. We know young audiences are hungry for this content, and they’re turning to podcasts as their primary source of news. And we’re excited to ply them with addictive content they’ll want to evangelize.”

Kaleidoscope’s ongoing development of its storytelling lineup reflects this ethos. Kaleidoscope’s upcoming content slate will include investigative programming around Othram, the genetic forensics firm behind breakthroughs in major cases like the Gilgo Beach murders and the Idaho college killings. In the coming months, Kaleidoscope will also unveil new content with acclaimed WIRED, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The New Yorker journalist, author, and podcast host Evan Ratliff, and a recent collaboration with The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson, sponsored by PwC.

“At Burda, we invest in companies building for the future, and Kaleidoscope is doing just that—creating a new category in podcasting that combines editorial integrity with cultural relevance,” said Christian Teichmann, CEO at Burda Principal Investments. “In a moment when audiences crave clarity around science and technology, Kaleidoscope is uniquely positioned to meet that demand on a global scale.”

“Kaleidoscope is charting a bold new course for storytelling—one that demystifies science and technology without sacrificing nuance or narrative power,” said Brauchli, managing partner at North Base Media. “In an era of noise and misinformation, their commitment to editorial excellence and audio innovation is precisely what the media landscape needs.”

“The most important stories of our time are unfolding at the intersection of science, tech, and culture under the Kaleidoscope umbrella,” said Walter Isaacson, journalist, author, and Kaleidoscope host. “Kaleidoscope provides the opportunity for talent to bring stories to life with depth, rigor, and humanity, and it’s a privilege to contribute to their growth as the essential voice of our scientific era.”

Kaleidoscope’s positioning at the heart of today’s science and technology storytelling renaissance has attracted the interest of major commercial partners, notably including the organization’s multi-million dollar partnership with iHeartMedia, the #1 audio company in the United States. Kaleidoscope continues to deepen its commercial ties with brands, award-winning hosts, and institutions eager to meet listeners where they are—curious, engaged, and looking for meaning, while continuing to extend its global reach and appeal through its expanding slate of projects.

For more information, visit www.k-scope.com.

About Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is the leading science and technology podcast network, telling thrilling stories of consequence that unpack the new scientific renaissance. Founded by Oz Woloshyn and Mangesh Hattikudur in 2022, Kaleidoscope’s network reaches millions of listeners and is home to hit shows including ON Musk: with Walter Isaacson, The Last Soviet with NSYNC’s Lance Bass, Afghan Star with EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, multi-platinum artist and producer John Legend, and Levittown, a harrowing six-part collaboration with Bloomberg and iHeart exploring AI exploitation in American high schools with award-winning investigative journalist Olivia Carville and cybercrime reporter Margi Murphy. Additional programming includes TechStuff, iHeartMedia’s flagship tech podcast, hosted by Woloshyn and Karah Preiss, where listeners unpack tech through culture with high-profile guests like McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, and Ben Lamm, founder of Colossal Biosciences. In April 2025, the company announced the debut of Dexter Thomas’ Kill Switch, which tackles the most important questions of technology today with clarity and edge, including AI weaponization and the ethics of data privacy. Visit www.k-scope.com for more information.

About Burda Principal Investments

Burda Principal Investments (BPI) is a division of Hubert Burda Media, one of Europe’s largest media and technology conglomerates with a strong investment track record in Internet-centric businesses since 1998. BPI provides long term growth equity for fast-growing and scalable technology companies. It partners with visionary entrepreneurs and supports them with Burda’s capital, brands, and industry expertise – particularly in the areas of business expansion, internationalisation and localisation. BPI’s portfolio includes numerous successful and fast-growing companies in Europe, the US, and Asia, including Nord Security, Vinted, Aleph Alpha, Bloom and Wild, Moneybox, Skillshare, Expel, Carsome, and BillEase.  

About North Base Media  

About North Base Media  is a global investment firm founded in 2014 by Sasa Vucinic, who started and ran the Media Development Loan Fund, and Marcus Brauchli, former top editor of The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. It has backed media and media-related technology startups globally, including many of the leading independent media voices in large-population markets in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. 

Press Contacts

Kaleidoscope
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Liz Keller: liz@mmstratcomms.com

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