The popularity of esports and original gaming content is growing rapidly, and Fairfax-based FreshCut Interactive Inc. is on a mission to build a new social platform tailored to video game fans and creators alike.
The company, which launched in 2019, was founded by James Kuk, Ben Stueck and Ernie Le — all veterans of Amazon.com Inc.-owned streaming service Twitch.
Like Twitch, FreshCut operates a platform focused on gaming-related video content. However, FreshCut plans to showcase quick and easily digestible short-form videos, rather than the lengthy live streams featured on Twitch.
Le, who serves as the company’s chief content officer, said avid video game fans are hungry for content that allows them to feel connected to a community of fellow fans without necessarily requiring a major time commitment.
“Even if you don’t have a preference for short-form, as long-form grows there’s always a need for it,” Le said. “Especially if you follow creators … How do you catch up on the cool things they’ve done in the past week?”
Viewers may not be the only ones interested in what FreshCut is doing. Kuk, the company’s chief executive, said that FreshCut is committed to offering content creators a better system of compensation than what’s offered on competing platforms.
Part of this involves the integration of blockchain technology. Viewers can reward favorite content creators with digital tokens called FreshCut Diamonds, which, like cryptocurrencies, are tracked on a blockchain digital ledger.
Kuk said this system will ensure greater transparency around creator compensation and give both viewers and content providers certainty that the company isn’t collecting exorbitant commissions on financial transactions.
“Our point is that we want to redistribute the value equation in favor of content creators and community members,” said Kuk. “It doesn’t need to be the case that the centralized company makes 100% of the revenue. People who use the platform should have some percentage of that value.”
FreshCut announced a $15 million funding round on May 18, which Kuk said would fuel development of its platform and community. The company also recently announced a $1 million creator fund as another means of drawing talented storytellers and charismatic personalities to its platform.
Kuk said FreshCut will be an ideal home for gaming-focused creators who may struggle to find opportunities to build a community of fans or monetize their content on short-form platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
“We want to build an awesome entertainment experience for this content category,” said Kuk. “And we want to help content creators succeed.”
