| Company type | Video on demand, crowdfunding |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Seed&Spark is a film-centric crowdfunding and SVOD platform launched in 2012.
Seed&Spark is a crowdsourced film & TV studio where creators can build audiences through crowdfunding and audiences can watch movies & shows through on-demand streaming. Distribution contracts are non-exclusive to Seed&Spark, with a caveat that a movie or show on the Seed&Spark must not be distributed free elsewhere online.[1]
Unlike other crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, Seed&Spark is purpose-built for film & TV, and its crowdfunding page acts like a registry system, showing potential backers a budget determined by exactly what "WishList" items are needed and at what cost. The platform also allows backers to contribute cash or loan specific items to the project.[2] Seed&Spark takes a 5% fee from successfully funded projects, lower than other crowdfunding platforms, and allows campaign supporters to cover the filmmakers' fees. Seed&Spark currently holds a 75% success rate[3] for its crowdfunding campaigns, nearly twice that of Kickstarter,[4] and an average raise of $14,700 per project.
Founder Emily Best created the prototype for Seed&Spark with Caroline Von Kuhn and Liam Brady[5] while raising funds for their feature film Like the Water in 2010. Through the platform, the film was able to raise $23,000 in 30 days. The public site launched on December 1, 2012[6] with 11 distributed films and 15 crowdfunding campaigns.
Seed&Spark raised more than $300,000 in its first 6 months.[7] Originally based in Brooklyn, New York,[8] Seed&Spark relocated to Los Angeles in 2014.
Best was the recipient in 2013 of $10,000 grant for Seed&Spark from SoftBank Capital and Lerer Ventures,[9] given via the New York Observer blog Betabeat's competition series The Pitch. Lerer principal Steve Schlafman explained that Best "proved to us that her product is working and solves a real problem that she experienced first hand."[10] In August 2014, Seed&Spark closed a million dollar seed round led by Wadsworth Family investment fund Manitou Ventures.[11]
