New streaming channel launched to provide viewers with a glimpse into city council meetings

The creation of Hamlet carries a personal story for Sunil Rajaraman. In 2022, he ran for a city council seat in a small town in California. Although he did not win, the experience changed how he perceived local government.

I wanted to be a more informed candidate, Rajaraman told TechCrunch. I tried to understand the workings of my city, the decisions taken, and the people involved. But it was like staring into a black boxeverything was deliberately opaque.

Since the pandemic, many towns have started posting recordings of city meetings online. This inspired Rajaraman to create a platform that translates these recordings into clear insights for citizens. That same year, he founded Hamlet.

We apply AI to analyze thousands of hours of city council and planning commission videos, turning them into actionable intelligence, he explained. He noted that these videos are more reliable than traditional meeting minutes, which reflect someones interpretation. The video shows exactly what happened.

Initially, Hamlet aimed to operate as a media outlet. However, real estate developers and political organizations soon sought access, highlighting that businesses also need visibility into local government discussions. For enterprise users, Hamlet tracks agendas, sends alerts on topics of interest, and summarizes meetings, allowing them to quickly find mentions of competitors or relevant issues without watching hours of footage.

Hamlet has raised approximately $10 million in venture capital from investors including Slow Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Bana Capital, and Kapor Capital. Rajaraman envisions the company as the Bloomberg for local government transparency.

On Friday, he announced Hamlet TV, a streaming channel designed to engage citizens with highlights from city councils, commissions, and school board meetings. Available on TikTok, YouTube, AppleTV, and Instagram, the channel blends informative coverage with humor to draw in viewers.

Weve seen meetings lasting over 15 hours without breaks, Rajaraman said. By curating amusing moments, his team hopes to spark interest in civic affairs. One memorable incident involved a participant dressing as a cockroach to discuss pest issues at a council meeting.

Yet, Rajaraman emphasizes that the real surprise is the significance of these meetings and how little public attention they receive. For example, Tucsons city council recently rejected Amazons $3.6 billion data center project after months of planning, though only a few people had viewed the recordings to understand the decision.

This is not Rajaramans first venture. He co-founded Scripted, served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Foundation Capital twice, and ran The Bold Italic, later selling it to Medium. He acknowledges that Hamlet TV may not generate profit but insists its purpose is to increase civic engagement. Local journalists will also have free access to Hamlets tools.

Looking ahead, Hamlet plans to collaborate with government affairs teams, advocacy groups, and renewable energy developers. Democracy thrives when people are informed, Rajaraman said. Were making it possible for people to watch and participate.

Author: Benjamin Carter