Underknown
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital media |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Stephen Hulford Raphael Faeh Peter Schmiedchen |
| Headquarters | , Canada |
Key people | Stephen Hulford (CEO) |
| Products | What If, How to Survive, Animalogic, Aperture, Popular Science FAST channel |
| Website | underknown |
Underknown Inc. is a Canadian digital-first media production company based in Toronto that specializes in short-form educational science and factual programming.
History
Underknown was founded in 2016 by Steve Hulford, Raphael Faeh, and Peter Schmiedchen.[1][2] It began when Hulford and Faeh produced the science-explainer series What If in Hulford’s living room.[3] In 2019, Underknown received C$2.5 million in equity and debt financing, including support from Ontario Creates.[3]
In May 2020, Underknown staged Live Med Aid, a five-hour global livestream that raised funds for Médecins Sans Frontières' COVID-19 response; the programme combined conversations with scientists such as Jane Goodall, Wade Davis, David Suzuki, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Katharine Hayhoe with performances by Earth, Wind & Fire, Bombino, Barenaked Ladies, Metric, and others.[4][5]
In March 2022, Underknown acquired the speculative science YouTube channel Aperture.[1] In August 2024, Underknown bought the nature channel Animalogic from Blue Ant Media, and that November it merged with the creator services agency GPOP.[6][7]
In March 2025, Underknown, in a joint initiative with the American magazine Popular Science, launched an eponymous free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel distributed on services such as Vizio WatchFree+, Plex and Sling Freestream.[8][9]
Productions
Underknown's programming uses hypothetical questions, survival scenarios and natural history storytelling to explain scientific concepts.[10] Core franchises include the science series What If, the how-to strand How to Survive, the nature show Animalogic and the video essay channel Aperture.[1][8]
Awards
Underknown’s flagship science series What If won the People’s Voice Award for Science & Education (Series & Channels) at the 24th Webby Awards in 2020, where it was cited alongside BBC Ideas as one of the year's leading educational video channels.[11] The same production was subsequently named the Video category winner and received the Audience Honor for Storytelling at the 13th Shorty Awards, which recognise excellence in social-media video.[12]
In 2021, Underknown's pandemic‐era charity livestream Live Med Aid was honoured by RTDNA Canada with the national Digital Award for News – Live Special Events.[13]
Underknown's survival series How to Survive received the People's Voice Award for Science & Education (Series & Channels) at the 26th Webby Awards in 2022.[14]
References
- ^ a b c Gutelle, Sam (18 March 2022). "Underknown is building a network of curious content. It just acquired the YouTube channel Aperture". Tubefilter.
- ^ "Popular Science launches streaming channel". Popular Science. 14 March 2025.
- ^ a b "'What If' Videos Make Science Accessible to Millions of Young People". Underknown. 19 November 2019.
- ^ Monroy Yglesias, Ana (6 May 2020). "LIVEMEDAID COVID-19 Research Livestream To Feature Earth, Wind & Fire, Bombino, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Jane Goodall & More". Grammy.com. Recording Academy.
- ^ Shackleford, Tom (8 May 2020). "Earth, Wind & Fire To Perform On LIVE MED AID Global Science Fundraising Event". Live for Live Music.
- ^ "Underknown acquires Animalogic from Blue Ant Media". RealScreen. August 28, 2024.
- ^ Casemore, Jamie (August 28, 2024). "Underknown acquires Animalogic from Blue Ant Media". Playback.
- ^ a b Lee, Abigail (March 13, 2025). "Popular Science Launches FAST Channel Via Underknown". Variety.
- ^ "Canada's Underknown rolls out Popular Science". C21Media. 13 March 2025.
- ^ Gutelle, Sam (4 July 2022). "The latest YouTube Kids series asks a lot of 'What If' questions". Tubefilter.
- ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob; Peters, Jay (20 May 2020). "Here are all the winners of the 2020 Webby Awards". The Verge. Vox Media.
- ^ "The What If Show". Shorty Awards. Shorty Awards.
- ^ "2021 National Digital Winners". RTDNA Canada. Radio Television Digital News Association Canada. 3 June 2021.
- ^ "How to Survive – Webby Awards Winner". The Webby Awards. International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. 2022.