Kick creates fund to pay developers who use its API to make third-party tools

Kick is making a tempting offer to seasoned developers. After providing public access to its API, the platform announced a $100,000 fund that will reward the builders of innovative streamer products.

The team known as Kick Dev launched the $100,000 “bounty” program on March 6. Individual developers and teams are both invited to submit the third-party tools they build out of the Kick API. Entries will be accepted until May 7, with the winners announced two weeks later on May 21.

Kick’s pitch to prospective builders is simple: come up with something that “creates value for our viewers.” That could be interpreted as a stream extension that adds flair to broadcasts or a franchise tie-in that deepens communal lore. Kick has more than 1,000 developers who are already using its API, and it wants their imaginations to run wild.

“Since our inception, a public API has been one of the most requested features from our community, and today, we’re delivering,” said Kick Head of Operations Ryan Webb in a statement. “Kick has always been fiercely creator-first, and now that commitment extends to developers. With major bounties up for grabs, we’re investing in those ready to build.”

Kick’s investment in its on-platform experience takes it in a new direction after its volatile early years. After launching with promises of big earnings, Kick cemented itself as a legitimate Twitch rival by poaching some of the platform’s top streamers. The results of that push were inconclusive. High-profile streamers brought cultural relevance to Kick, but Twitch CEO Dan Clancy argued that a poaching-centric strategy was a “complete mistake” and unsustainable in the long run.

As streaming exclusivity contracts become less common, Kick is investing in its middle class through its Creator Incentive Program. The API bounty feels like another step in that direction. It’s an initiative that will lead to quality-of-life upgrades for Kick streamers and their fans alike.