Slow Ventures, a VC firm focused on the tech space — that counts as one of its co-founders Facebook’s former VP of product management, Sam Lessin — is launching a new product to help creators more easily monetize their live streams.
While Slow doesn’t typically serve as an incubator, it has been readying a new product in the wake of the lockdown across California that is bound to have a special resonance at this moment in time. LiveStack is a platform that enables any creator to set ticket prices and subsequently host a live broadcast.
Slow says that LiveStack is intended for yoga teachers, comedians, musicians, teachers — and everyone else who has turned to livestreaming to forge onward with their businesses given varying social distancing measures worldwide. While major video platforms — as well as players like Zoom and Paypal — have sought to integrate monetization features, Slow notes that many of the existing products on the market are hard to set up and manage for independent creators who aren’t necessarily tech-proficient.
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To this end, LiveStack comprises an exceedingly easy-to-use package. It simply asks users to set up an account, connect to online payments processor Stripe, set an event time and price, and then share a link to the community to join. LiveStack then sends out calendar invites with links for attendees to join, and hosts the live stream without the need for any additional software.
The product was developed by Lessin and Elie Schoppik, the founder of Slow portfolio company Rithm School, a computer training firm. LiveStack appears to be free to use for now, given that Slow is referring to it as a “project” rather than a company. It is currently looking to garner more users to provide feedback. We’ve reached out to the company about future monetization plans, and will update this post with any additional information. Interested parties can learn more and sign up to join LiveStack right here.
