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Fluttr: A video sharing platform designed for creators

May 29, 2018

Two entrepreneurs are working to find a solution to the growing concern of demonetization and censorship on video hosting platforms.

Kyle Marvin and Evan Pischel noticed a growing frustration among the online video creator community in 2017 when their income began to get cut based on the extent to which advertisers liked or disliked their content.

“Evan and I would constantly talk about what we could do to fix this problem,” said Kyle Marvin, CEO and co-founder of Fluttr. “Ultimately we theorized what a true creator friendly platform would look like. We wrote out a rough draft what different features, monetization methods and policies and asked a couple of our YouTube & Twitch friends to see what they think.”

Eventually, they came up with Fluttr, a new online video platforming service that prioritizes creators over advertisers.

Putting creators first

Fluttr is creator friendly in the sense that they tailor towards creators rather than advertisers. Creators are free to publish whatever they choose (without it being illegal of course) without fear of being demonetized or censored. Fluttr will also offer new, innovative tools that will make it easier for creators to publish, share and collaborate.

“What makes us different than other video sharing platforms is that we have more tools and features to offer creators as well as the company being ran by existing creators,” said Marvin. “We also differ by implementing different monetization methods offered for creators, like our donation and subscription models.”

2018 plans

Fluttr’s beta is expected to launch in the Fall of 2018. The company plans on getting traction on the site by the year’s end in order to begin hiring for the company and begin their seed round of funding.

“We see the platform as a minor part in our long-term roadmap,” said Marvin. “We will continue to build features and tools on top of the platform in order to make content creation easier for creators. Our ultimate vision is to provide networking events, classes and festivals for creators on our platform. We see Fluttr becoming a massive all-in-one video creator platform.”

Fluttr: A video sharing platform designed for creators | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

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