KLIPY raises $1.2M Seed to monetise GIFs, stickers, and memes

KLIPY (ex-Kikliko) has raised $1.2 million Seed to monetize the untapped world of GIFs, stickers, memes, and AI content – without compromising user experience or privacy.

KLIPY is an API for GIFs, stickers, clips, and memes that enables messaging, dating, keyboard and media apps to generate revenue while growing user engagement.

The Georgian company is building the monetisation engine the GIF industry never had. GIFs, stickers, memes, and AI content power some of today’s most engaging online experiences – but they remain a missed opportunity, both in terms of revenue and user experience. 

KLIPY has built the largest localized library of animated content. From day one of integration, apps and platforms can showcase highly relevant, culturally tailored GIFs, memes, or AI features to their users – boosting user engagement and unlocking new revenue streams.

While billions of users interact with animated content daily, companies like GIPHY and Tenor have failed to generate revenue. GIPHY (acquired first by Meta, then by Shutterstock), Tenor (acquired by Google), and Gfycat (acquired by Snap Inc, parent company of Snapchat) were major players in the space, with billions of users and hundreds of millions in funding. However, their inefficient technology led to high server and content team costs, burning through funding runways in a few years.

In 2023, Meta was fined almost $70 million by UK regulators over monopoly concerns and was forced to sell GIPHY to Shutterstock – whose API later became paid. With Tenor expressing no plans to monetize, KLIPY identified a clear gap in the market.

With a more efficient infrastructure and AI capabilities, KLIPY now handles around 4 billion requests per month while keeping server costs under $1,500. More importantly, KLIPY’s ad-supported technology makes it possible to insert non-intrusive, user-friendly ads between content, both direct and programmatic, enabling apps and content owners to generate revenue.

In the last six months, KLIPY has launched on major platforms like Slack, Canva, and Figma.

According to Givi Beridze, co-founder and CEO of KLIPY:

“KLIPY is proving that short-form media, like GIFs, stickers, and memes, is much more than entertainment – it’s a billion-dollar business.

And we aren’t just monetising it; we’re reinventing how people create and communicate by bringing generative AI directly into the platforms they already use every day.”

Unlike traditional ad models, KLIPY’s contextual ad technology inserts non-intrusive, relevant ads directly between content, ensuring a high CTR (Click-Through Rate) for advertisers without disrupting the user experience.

With trillions of annual impressions that GIFs and stickers generate, KLIPY aims to take over and turn them into billions of dollars of shared revenue. By eliminating inefficiencies that sank previous giants and providing a monetization strategy that benefits both platforms and users, KLIPY is set to redefine the way digital content generates revenue.

KLIP is backed by Sturgeon Capital, NBA champion Zaza Pachulia, Gfycat co-founder Dan McEleney, and other prominent Silicon  Valley investors.

Robin Butler, Partner, Sturgeon Capital, shared:

“Sturgeon Capital invested in KLIPY because we believe they are the right team at the right time to be solving the monetisation problem for platforms.

There has been limited innovation in the space since Tenor and GIPHY were acquired, but the needs of platforms and end users have evolved. This has only been accelerated by the developments in generative AI. We are excited to be backing Givi, Waska, and the KLIPY team.”

Daniel McEleney, Gfycat (Acquired by Snap Inc.), CEO and co-founder shared:

“KLIPY is doing what wasn’t feasible during our time – maintaining a massive GIF library at a super low server cost while integrating scalable monetization and sharing the revenue with apps. That’s a game-changer in today’s market.”