Trips – a first-of-its-kind platform providing content creators the tools to achieve financial stability by safeguarding their IP and transforming their copyrights into valuable assets – recently launched. And the company allows creators to establish their copyright’s initial digital provenance on-chain while enabling them to turn creative assets into financial assets. Trips has also raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding led by Shima Capital, Animal Capital, Blackwood Ventures, Serafund, and Calligraphy Digital, and Blizzard (the Avalanche Ecosystem Fund).
By unifying the immutability of blockchain with access to capital, Trips provides creators with the infrastructure they need to thrive in today’s digital economy. This is the first step in a larger vision, including accessing previously unavailable liquidity opportunities while future-proofing creations against unauthorized, derivative uses where just compensation should, but often does not, flow to the original author. The company is also launching on the Avalanche Evergreen Subnet, leveraging the network’s customizability to address permissioning, privacy, and other requirements to fulfill this vision.
As IP is moving front and center on the world stage, providing every creator with the tools necessary for protection, authentication, tracking, and monetization should be paramount. And the Trips product seamlessly allows creators to authenticate themselves, link their content platforms, and stamp their copyright ownership on the blockchain, what the Company calls TCIs. From there, they could enable monetization opportunities, everything totally within their control and all within one easy-to-use interface. The company currently supports YouTube, but it has plans to add more platforms in the near future.
KEY QUOTES:
“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.”
– Michael Finkelstein, CEO and Founder of Trips
“In 5 years, it is estimated that one billion people will self-identify as creators, with the overall creator economy and social commerce markets projected to be $500 billion and $2.9 trillion, respectively. 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 of technology, creativity and finance.”
– Marshall Sandman, Managing Partner at Animal Capital
