StoryAverse launches a short-form storytelling app that combines video and written content

Agnes Kozera and David Kierzkowski, co-founders of podcast sponsorship marketplace Podcorn, today launched their latest app – Storyverse, a short-form entertainment platform that offers a multi-format reading experience combining animated video and written content. Does.

Available on iOS and Android devices, Storyverse caters to graphic novel readers and adult animation fans who want to discover original stories in a short-form, animated format.

“Our mission is to make Storyverse the greatest storytelling platform and make reading more entertaining and engaging,” Kozera told TechCrunch.

“We believe that our format not only caters to existing fans of literature and animation but also has the potential to attract broader audiences who are looking for new forms of entertainment…even those who shy away from reading because they are more [visual readers] You can enjoy reading through our patent-pending read-watch format,” she said.

Image Credit: storyverse

The “read-watch” format of the Storiaverse is exactly what it sounds like. Users swipe up on a story to view a series of animated clips, then tap the screen to enter reading mode. There is also an option to skip the video if they prefer to read all the chapters first and then go back to watch the animation. The length of the stories ranges from five minutes to 10 minutes.

At launch, Storyverse features 25 original titles spanning genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and comedy. Creators who have released stories on the app include animator Josh Ryba, who has contributed to projects such as the Netflix shows “Raised by Wolves” and “One Piece”; animator Jonathan Fontaine, who worked on the Disney film “Descendants”; and author John M. Floyd, who was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, among others.

Notably, book publisher HarperCollins is also partnering with the company to adapt titles such as Madeleine Roux’s horror novel series Asylum and Joel Charbonneau’s new fantasy series Dividing Eden. Additionally, TikTok star and independent animator King Science (Science Akbar) are teaming up to create a special story on the app.

There are currently over 100 creators working with Storiaverse and over 100 stories in development.

Co-founders Agnes Kozera and David Kierzkowski. Image Credit: storyverse

Storyverse launches at a time when many creators are nervous about the future of ByteDance-owned short-form video app TikTok, where many storytellers have built a large audience (like King Science and his 13 million followers) and the platform. Let’s use it to show off. their work.

Like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, Storyverse provides additional revenue streams for creators.

“There is a huge community of freelance writers who often struggle for recognition and compensation. We believe their content can be presented in a more modern format to reach new readers,” Kozera said, adding that Storiaverse compensates both writers and animators for their contributions to the app. “The [compensation] Fees vary depending on factors such as length and complexity of the story,” she explained.

The company can also take other pages out of its competitors’ playbook by bringing in advertising, merchandise and subscriptions. Kozera tells us that another idea on the table is to add product placement to videos.

Storyverse says it has already received thousands of submissions from writers. Creators can apply on the Storyverse website. When writers are accepted, they are connected with an animator who helps bring the words to life.

Kozera said the company is also building a Creator Suite for creators to collaborate with each other, access story performance insights, and explore “greater monetization opportunities.”

Storiaverse has raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding led by 500 Global.