Unwell, the media company co-founded by "Call Her Daddy" podcast host Alex Cooper and her husband, Matt Kaplan, has landed its first outside investment, a deal that values the Gen Z-focused media business at $500 million.

The investment comes from WTSL, an investment firm led by Patrick Whitesell, the co-founder of talent agency WME and former executive chairman of its successor company, Endeavor. WTSL, which Whitesell launched in 2024 with backing from private equity firm Silver Lake, did not disclose the size of its investment in Unwell, though the deal establishes a $500 million pre-money valuation for the company, according to Unwell. Cooper and Kaplan, who self-funded Unwell since founding it in 2023, retain majority ownership of the business.

Unwell said the company has been profitable since its founding and is treating the new capital as growth funding rather than a lifeline. Beyond the money itself, Unwell said WTSL brings "deep strategic expertise, industry relationships and a proven track record of supporting some of the most innovative companies and storytellers in media," pointing specifically to WTSL's existing investment in Omaha Productions, the sports and entertainment company founded by former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. WTSL's broader portfolio also includes Diamond Baseball Holdings, InterPositive, TMWR Sports and League One Volleyball.

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Cooper framed the investment as validation of Unwell's reach among its core audience. "Trust has become the ultimate distribution channel and 70 million women a........

© International Business Times