Goalhanger, a London-based podcast and media company, has named six creators for the inaugural cohort of “The Accelerator,” a three-month creative business incubator for digital talent.

The 2026 cohort includes satirist and writer Cody Dahler, politics and history video creator Tom Nicholas, journalist and author Sophia Smith Galer, actress and comedy writer Andrea Valls, historian and author Dr Eliza Filby, and Tolly “T” Shoneye, founder of “The Receipts Podcast.” Goalhanger selected the six from hundreds of applications, with judges spending just under 100 hours reviewing submissions across a four-part framework covering vision and ambition, commercial viability, creative intent, and expertise.

Each creator will receive up to £10,000 in production investment, along with Goalhanger ad inventory across podcast, YouTube, newsletter, and paid media channels. Participants also gain access to Goalhanger’s senior editorial, creative, and commercial leadership, as well as masterclasses, mentorship, and strategic support covering audience growth, production, brand partnerships, and long-form IP development.

“‘The Accelerator’ is not about handing over a cheque and sending people on their way, nor is it about forcing creators into a Goalhanger template,” said Jack Davenport, co-founder at Goalhanger. “It is about giving them access to the experience, infrastructure, and commercial support we have built, while protecting the thing that made audiences respond to them in the first place.”

Nicole Logan, Executive Producer – Development at Goalhanger, added: “What impressed us was how clearly these creators understand their own work. They know who they are speaking to, why people keep coming back, and where they want to take their ideas next. The Accelerator gives them time, structure, and hands-on support to develop that properly: refining formats, building teams, testing new approaches, and thinking more ambitiously about how their creative business can scale.”

Creator Projects

• Dahler is developing “The Thicky Thicky Dumb Dumb Search Engine,” a format combining interviews, location shoots, and comic investigation. 
• Nicholas will expand “Slow News Days,” a series on breaking news and political context. 
• Smith Galer is developing “English: An Alternative History,” a five-part short-form series on the origins of the English language. 
• Valls will build an episodic weekly comedy show around her existing characters. 
• Dr Filby will scale “It’s All Relative,” a guest-led format on generational shifts and social history. 
• Shoneye will produce a 10-part mini-documentary tracking “The Receipts Podcast’s” expansion into a multi-platform content network.

Company Background

The announcement follows the launch of Goalhanger Ventures, the company’s new investment and partnerships arm. Its first activities include an equity investment in Invisible Media, behind digital media platform The Invisible Hand, and a commercial partnership with sports creator brand Backyard Cricket.

“The Accelerator” launched in March 2026, targeting UK-based specialist creators with an established presence on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook. The selection committee included senior Goalhanger leaders and external executives with backgrounds at Spotify, YouTube, Web Summit, WME, Netflix, and Amazon.

In 2025, Goalhanger generated more than 750 million full-episode views and streams across its 15-show network, growing its paid membership base to more than 250,000.

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