Catch + releaseA startup that lets brands license creator content said it has launched an AI-powered search that lets users search for user-generated content in natural language queries.
The startup helps businesses license creator content for their marketing campaigns. While brands can add links from Instagram, YouTube and TikTok to their collection for potential use, the new search engine allows them to search for relevant content without requiring them to jump from one platform to another.
Marketers typically can’t search for queries like “kids at birthday party” on Instagram, the startup said. They instead have to rely on keywords and hope that creators tag photos or videos correctly. The startup uses image recognition to identify scenes and objects in these media assets.
However, one of the biggest limitations a search engine currently has is that it can’t go out and search the internet for you. Catch+Release typically directs creators to license their content and requires them to import their assets and link their social accounts to the platform. After launching its creator onboarding program earlier this year, the company now has 600 creators on the platform with more than 300,000 items cataloged.
In a few test searches, we noticed that the search engine was able to easily find images relevant to the query, but videos were a hit and miss. For example, “A Dog Playing in the Park” showed us some videos in which there were no dogs. The company said it is still working to improve its recognition capabilities.
Catch+Release has raised $31.3 million in funding to date, including an $8 million extension round it announced last month. The company has investors including Accel, Cervin, Stagwell, HarbourVest Partners, Kevin Durant’s investment firm 35V, and Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta.