Trips has raised $2.5M in a Pre-Seed funding round led by Shima Capital and others

By Tsunami 11/5/23 1:38 PM

Trips, a pioneering platform, officially launched today, aiming to provide creators with the tools they need to safeguard their intellectual property (IP) and transform their copyrights into valuable financial assets. The company, which has already raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding, is positioned to empower content creators to navigate the digital world with newfound confidence.

Trips, a novel startup that merges the immutability of blockchain technology with access to capital, seeks to address a growing issue within the creator community. As the digital economy continues to expand, creators often struggle to monetize their assets effectively and achieve financial stability. Trips aims to change this by offering content creators a unique pathway to convert their copyrights into tangible financial resources.

The company’s platform enables creators to establish the initial digital provenance of their copyright on the blockchain, thus ensuring the authenticity and ownership of their work. This innovative feature, referred to as “TCIs” (Trips Copyright Identifiers), sets the stage for creators to confidently monetize their content. Trips currently supports YouTube but has ambitious plans to integrate more platforms in the near future, catering to a broad spectrum of creators.

The $2.5 million in pre-seed funding was led by prominent investors, including Shima Capital, Animal Capital, Blackwood Ventures, Serafund, Calligraphy Digital, and the Avalanche Ecosystem Fund, in addition to the influential participation of Blizzard. This financial backing underscores the immense potential and importance of the platform in addressing the critical needs of content creators.

Michael Finkelstein, CEO and Founder of Trips, emphasized the company’s mission to empower creators, stating, “Creators lack access to capital to monetize their assets, grow their businesses and reach financial stability. Trips presents a novel pathway for content creators to harness their copyrights into a tangible financial resource. Our commitment lies in empowering creators to effectively navigate the digital world by building great products that promote their success and ensure the preservation of their creative ownership.”

Trips’ platform is ideally positioned to become a game-changer in the creative industry, especially as intellectual property takes center stage globally. Content creators can use Trips to authenticate themselves, link their content platforms, and secure their copyright ownership. The company’s focus on user-friendliness ensures that creators have an easy-to-use interface to manage their monetization opportunities entirely under their control.

As IP protection and monetization become increasingly critical in the digital age, Trips addresses these concerns comprehensively. Their platform is designed to offer creators a holistic solution, protecting their intellectual property, verifying their rights, and expanding their financial horizons.

Marshall Sandman, Managing Partner at Animal Capital, emphasized the significance of Trips at this pivotal intersection of technology, creativity, and finance, saying, “Now is the time to empower every creator to take control of their intellectual property through a transformative approach that acknowledges their rights while simultaneously expanding their financial possibilities. Trips represents the crucial innovation needed at this intersection.”

The launch of Trips couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment, as the creator economy and social commerce markets are projected to grow significantly in the coming years. With an estimated one billion people set to identify as creators in the next five years, Trips provides the infrastructure creators need to thrive in this rapidly expanding sector.

Trips is launching on the Avalanche Evergreen Subnet, harnessing the network’s customizability to address various requirements such as permissioning and privacy, aligning perfectly with its vision to safeguard the rights and financial prospects of creators.