Section 1.1: Islands – Empowering Creators

Islands is on a mission to transform the way creators engage with their dedicated fans by offering a platform for paid memberships. Founded in 2021 and currently in its seed funding stage, this San Francisco-based startup is designed for superfans who crave deeper, personalized interactions with their favorite creators.

Creators can establish communities where fans can subscribe for exclusive content and experiences.

The co-founders, Nikhil Srinivasa and TZ (Tiffany Zhong), bring a wealth of experience from top companies like Product Hunt and Coinbase. As Tiffany puts it, "Our goal is to equip creators with the tools they need to build their empires from scratch."

Section 1.2: Howitzer – Targeting Reddit for Marketing

Howitzer has revolutionized direct marketing on Reddit, a platform boasting over 430 million active users. Launched in March 2021 and entirely bootstrapped, this tool enables businesses to connect with niche audiences through targeted cold emails.

The founders—Nikola Velkovski, Tomi Jurukovski, and Stefan Kotevski—recognized that traditional Reddit Ads were becoming ineffective due to widespread ad-blocking. As Nikola explains, "We created Howitzer to enable effective advertising on Reddit despite the challenges."

Section 1.3: Slash – Co-Ownership of Virtual Cards

Slash offers a novel solution for managing shared expenses through virtual cards. Founded in 2021, this service allows users and up to ten friends to co-own virtual cards, facilitating effortless expense sharing and subscription management.

This innovative approach can significantly reduce costs associated with multiple subscriptions, addressing the growing demand for shared services.

Victor Cardenas and Kevin Bai, the co-founders based in San Francisco, saw a pressing need for this service in today’s subscription-heavy market.

Section 1.4: Gossip – The Future of Short Audio Stories

Gossip is redefining storytelling in the digital age by allowing users to create and share brief audio narratives. Founded in 2021, this platform provides a space for users to explore and share stories that last only 30 seconds, with content disappearing after 24 hours.

According to founder Gleb Braverman, "Gossip aims to offer a quick and engaging way for people to express their thoughts and emotions through voice."

With the rise of audio content, Gossip fits perfectly into the evolving landscape of social media, providing a dynamic alternative to traditional text-based platforms.