Firsthand Startup Seeks to Balance Digital Content Control

The digital market is currently overwhelmed by the dominance of tech giants and their control over search traffic. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) firms use content from brands and publishers, making it challenging for independent creators to gain visibility in the clutter of information. This imbalance in digital resource distribution restricts content diversity and overshadows creative and unique inputs.

A startup named ‘Firsthand’, headed by adtech veterans, aims to address these issues. The platform proposed by Firsthand provides brands with complete data control and transparency. The belief is that cultivating customer trust alongside business growth is ultimate, thereby enhancing brand loyalties. It helps in successful management of in-house data, reducing the risk of breaches, and optimizing marketing strategies.

Firsthand was founded by Jonathan Heller, Michael Rubenstein, and Wei Wei. They strategically raised $6.65M in their initial seed round which was led by AI-focused Radical Ventures. The funds will be utilized for expansion, stronger industry foothold, and to streamline and enhance information flow in AI-centric industries for a competitive advantage.

The Firsthand platform enables creation and deployment of AI agents for direct interaction with consumers. These AI representatives give companies an opportunity to gather personalized information about consumers, thus collecting valuable data.

Co-founder Michael Rubenstein sees this as a ‘critical point’ for both publishers and brands. Despite advancement in ad technology, none so far have enabled personal interaction with consumers while ensuring full data and content control. Rubenstein emphasizes on the transformative potential of AI technology. He urges brands to leverage AI technology for their strategic planning, or risk being outpaced by their competitors.