Former UK Tech Minister Damian Collins Joins Microdrama Outfit Screenburn Group As Chairman
Damian Collins, the former UK MP and government minister for tech and the digital economy, has been appointed Chairman of Screenburn Group, a London-based company behind a screenwriting app and CherryBowl, a microdrama research and ranking service. The appointment brings a high-profile figure with deep policy experience in online safety and digital regulation into the fast-growing vertical microdrama sector, lending credibility as the firm prepares to raise fresh funding.
Collins, an MP for 14 years, chaired the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee and helped pass the UK's Online Safety Act. Screenburn, founded by game designer Charles Kriel and TV showrunner Kat Gellein Viken, is set to launch a funding round this autumn, and its CherryBowl platform already tracks more than 74,000 titles and 3.6 million episodes across major microdrama platforms. The company has also appointed Odiri Iwuji, co-founder of C21 Media and Chudor House Productions, to its advisory board.
- Damian Collins becomes Chairman of microdrama firm Screenburn Group.
- Screenburn owns CherryBowl, tracking 74,000+ titles, 3.6m episodes.
- Firm to launch funding round this autumn; Odiri Iwuji joins advisory board.
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Microdramas are short, serialised dramas made mainly for watching on a phone, often in a vertical format. The sector has grown alongside apps that publish episodes and services that help audiences find or compare shows.
Damian Collins is a former Conservative MP who worked on technology and digital policy, including as chair of a parliamentary committee on digital, culture and media. His work included scrutiny of online safety and digital regulation, areas that affect how internet services operate in the UK.
Screenburn Group is a London-based company founded by game designer Charles Kriel and television showrunner Kat Gellein Viken. It makes a screenwriting app and runs CherryBowl, which tracks microdrama titles and episodes; the sector’s growth and the company’s plans to seek investment help explain why its leadership and profile matter.
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