Rebels Ventures backs Canal Foco, a YouTube studio chasing US$25.6M by 2028
What's the deal? Canal Foco, a Brazilian digital entertainment company founded in 2023, has raised an early-stage round from Rebels VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the investment firm of ReservaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → founder Rony Meisler. The amount was not disclosed.
What does it do? The company produces long-form YouTube debates and social experiments, then slices them into clips for TikTok and Instagram. Its signature format, 1x30 — one person against 30 in a debate — helped push the channel past 1 billion views, with none of its founders appearing on camera.
What's the endgame? Chief executive Daniel Levy wants to turn Canal Foco into a YouTube-native broadcaster, with its own programs, new channels, and products sold directly to viewers. "Our goal is to be a mix of Silvio Santos and EndemolDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →," Levy said (translated from Portuguese), referencing both direct-to-audience sales and licensed TV formats like Big Brother.
The numbers: Canal Foco started with US$12.8K and says it has been profitable from the outset, running a core team of 10 to 15 people. For 2027, it projects US$6.4M to US$7.67M in ad revenue, rising to US$11.5M if it sells all sponsorship slots. The 2028 target is US$25.6M.
Why Rebels? Meisler first encountered the business when Levy invited him onto Os Caras do Pix, the channel's entrepreneurship program. "As investors, we like to find people who don't need us as an investor, who stand on their own," Meisler said (translated from Portuguese).
The signal: The deal fits the thesis of Rebels Ventures, launched in 2025 to build businesses around brands and communities. It has also backed Norte MediaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, which turns influencer audiences into their own brands, and BlankDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, which teaches executives to use digital content to win clients. Canal Foco is another bet on converting audience into a scalable business — though, without disclosed revenue figures or deal terms, viewership alone does not prove it will reach US$25.6M.
Read more: exame.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
