In today's digital age, content creation has become a powerful tool for artists, musicians, and creators to express their talent and engage with audiences worldwide. However, monetizing this content and generating sustainable revenue streams can be a significant challenge

The Million Dollar Pre-Seed Round

27 April 2023
2 minute read

In today's digital age, content creation has become a powerful tool for artists, musicians, and creators to express their talent and engage with audiences worldwide. However, monetizing this content and generating sustainable revenue streams can be a significant challenge. This is where we, Talentir, a startup based in Vienna and Zurich, aim to make a difference. Our vision is to transform YouTube videos into manageable assets, allowing creators to share the financial benefits of their content with fans and investors alike.

The concept behind Talentir is simple yet innovative. Once a video reaches a certain number of streams, it generates revenue. Through our platform, creators can trade the rights to their videos with a mouse click. This means that content creators can sell a portion or all of their future earnings to fans or investors. This groundbreaking approach opens up new possibilities for artists to capitalize on their work while allowing fans to actively participate in their favorite creators' success.

Recently, we secured a multimillion-dollar investment. Bitpanda-CEO Eric Demuth led the funding round, with notable participation from Johannes Braith, Ferdinand Dietrich, and Christoph Sandraschitz, the founders of Storebox. Other participants included venture capital firms Hardlymountain Capital and Eru Ventures (All About Apps & Dots and Lines), and Masters of Dirt's CEO Georg Fechter also joined as a contributor.

There are still so many areas out there that need disruption. The content monetization industry is one of them.

Eric Demuth, Bitpanda-CEO

Our founders, Lukas Sticksel-Steiner and Johannes Kares, have developed a co-ownership model for YouTube videos. The idea originated during the COVID-19 pandemic when the team sought to create a new revenue stream for artists and musicians. Sticksel-Steiner explained, "Digital content is the gold of our generation, and we make it accessible to everyone." On talentir.com, content creators can offer a certain percentage of their content for financial participation by interested parties. We act as the facilitator, turning fans into co-owners and automatically distributing the ad revenue generated by the underlying videos to the shareholders. This approach provides various opportunities for content creators. Established artists can cash out while emerging artists can utilize the received funds to finance new productions. On the other hand, fans have the chance to grow alongside their favorite creators, fostering a deeper connection and sense of shared success.

As Talentir approaches its product launch in the coming weeks, excitement is building. Content creators who have already produced and released their content can now sign up on talentir.com. The website launch will follow a top-down approach, allowing the company to identify and address issues in real-time, iterate quickly, and foster a content-like growth trajectory. As Talentir continues to evolve and expand its services, the future looks promising for content creators seeking innovative ways to monetize their work and fans eager to support and grow with their favorite artists. Stay tuned for exciting developments as Talentir reshapes the content ownership and monetization landscape.