Sunil Rajaraman, founder of the tech platform Hamlet, is leveraging artificial intelligence to pull local government proceedings out of the shadows. Following a personal attempt to run for city council in 2022, Rajaraman identified a critical lack of transparency in local governance, describing the process as a “total black box.”
Transforming Raw Data into Actionable Intelligence
Since the pandemic, the surge in recorded municipal meetings provided the foundation for Hamlet. The company utilizes AI to ingest thousands of hours of city council and planning commission footage, converting unstructured video into searchable, actionable data. Unlike traditional meeting minutes, which are susceptible to human bias and interpretation, Hamlet relies on the raw, verified reality of video footage.
While the platform initially targeted a general media audience, it quickly found a robust market among real estate developers and political action committees. These enterprise clients use the tool to track legislative agendas, receive alerts on specific topics, and monitor competitor mentions within local government archives without the need to manually review marathon-length recordings.
Launching Hamlet TV: Democracy Through a New Lens
Building on $10 million in venture funding from firms like Slow Ventures and Crosslink Capital, the company is now expanding its reach with the launch of Hamlet TV. Available on TikTok, YouTube, AppleTV, and Instagram, the channel highlights pivotal and often bizarre moments from school boards and commissions to drive civic engagement.
Using Humor to Bridge the Civic Gap
Rajaraman acknowledges that dry procedural content rarely captures public attention. To combat this, Hamlet TV curates the most engaging and unexpected clips—ranging from residents protesting pest problems in cockroach costumes to high-stakes debates over multi-billion dollar corporate investments, such as the rejection of an Amazon data center in Tucson.
“If you show people procedural videos, they are just not going to care. But if you show them the funny stuff, they’ll watch,” Rajaraman noted. Beyond the entertainment value, he emphasizes the gravity of these sessions: “It’s how consequential these meetings are and how invisible they remain.”
Empowering Local Journalism and Advocacy
Rajaraman, who previously co-founded the analytics platform Scripted and managed The Bold Italic, views Hamlet TV as a public service rather than a primary revenue driver. As part of this mission, the company plans to provide its analytical tools to local journalists at no cost, ensuring that vital context accompanies the data.
Looking ahead, Hamlet aims to deepen its partnerships with advocacy groups and renewable energy developers. By making the inner workings of local government accessible, the company hopes to fulfill its core philosophy: “Democracy works better when people are watching. We’re trying to make watching possible.”