KINO – a company that is reshaping entertainment economics through technology – announced an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round, raising $2 million. The high-profile contributors to the round included Sequoia Capital’s Scout program, Blockchain Founders Fund, Slow Ventures, Metaweb Ventures, Genius Ventures, The Near Protocol, and several industry experts and angel investors. KINO aims to equip filmmakers with state-of-the-art tools to engage, create, and monetize content even before it hits the screens, addressing a massive gap in the market.
With several credits to his name, such as projects with Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel for giants like Netflix and Disney, CEO Daril Fannin spearheaded KINO along with COO Austin Worrell. Worrell is a seasoned tech entrepreneur with impressive credentials from USC Law and the London School of Economics.
KINO captivates over a million film fans every month. And the company’s app (available for early access on the App Store) offers a plethora of features, from celebrity live streams and exclusive behind-the-scenes content to authentic movie merchandise and exclusive red-carpet event tickets.
KEY QUOTES:
“During the production cycle, film and TV shows currently do zero marketing or product market fit. This means that the industry is wasting billions of dollars annually, and our technology solves that inefficiency.”
— Co-founder Daril Fannin
“The film and television creator economy is drastically changing— has drastically changed with the rise of the internet, and crucially social media apps like Instagram and Tik Tok. KINO empowers artists to harness these changes, unlocking new revenue streams and pushing for fairer industry standards.”
— Co-founder Austin Worrell
“The film and TV industry has often lagged in tech adoption. KINO’s groundbreaking approach bridges this gap, tapping into the creator economy and redefining audience engagement. We’re thrilled to back their vision.”
— Tobias Bauer, Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund
