MUMBAI: Pherver, a startup in the San Francisco Bay Area, has launched a site for the creative class to raise funds through monthly pledges, tips on content, and by selling personalized products. The need for new ways to generate revenue comes at a time when online creative works are commoditized, making it difficult for creators such as YouTubers and musicians to make ends meet.

"At its core, pherver is about bringing tried and true business practices to creators without requiring them to think in those terms. When they use pherver, they're naturally building relationships, exceeding expectations, and cross-selling," says founder Juan Soberanis.

Pherver's unique approach to crowdfunding puts relationship-building at the forefront. Their platform includes recorded live video with fan call-ins, video fanmail that creators can feature in their own videos, and an auction marketplace to sell experiences and personalized products. "Building strong relationships with fans is becoming increasingly important. The more meaningful relationships creators have with fans, the more pledges, tips, and sales they'll generate," says Soberanis. "That's why we're virtualizing interactions that naturally occur when creators and fans are in the same room. You could say we're building ways to virtually tour the globe."

Pherver makes money by taking a percentage of the transactions on the platform. "We don't make money unless creators make money, which motivates us to build highly engaging features and enables creators to try our service risk-free," says Soberanis. "In this era of social media, creators and fans are underserved. We're on a mission to change that, to put creators first, to give them the tools they need to build a business from their talent, and to ensure them a bright future."