Backed By Leading Investors Across the Creator Economy and Blockchain Sectors, Trips is Set to Expand Financial Opportunities for Creators

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, launches today. The Company provides creators with the ability to establish their copyright's initial digital provenance on-chain, while enabling them to turn creative assets into financial assets. Trips has raised $2.5M in pre-seed funding led by Shima Capital, Animal Capital, Blackwood Ventures, Serafund and Calligraphy Digital along with Blizzard, the Avalanche Ecosystem Fund.

By marrying 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 robust vision, one that includes 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 launching on the Avalanche Evergreen Subnet, leveraging the network’s customizability to address permissioning, privacy, and other requirements as a means to fulfilling this vision.

“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,” said Michael Finkelstein, CEO and Founder of Trips. “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.”

As IP moves front and center on the world stage, providing every creator with the tools necessary for protection, authentication, tracking and monetization should be of paramount importance. 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 can enable monetization opportunities, everything totally within their control and all within one easy-to-use interface. The Company currently supports YouTube, but has plans to add more platforms in the near future.

“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.” said Marshall Sandman, Managing Partner at Animal Capital. “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.”