Catch+Release Unveils AI-Driven Search Tool for User-Generated Content

Catch+Release, a forward-thinking startup that enables brands to license creator content, has unveiled an AI-powered search feature that allows users to find user-generated content through natural language queries. This innovation streamlines the way companies source content for their marketing campaigns by enabling them to easily search across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok—all in one place.

Traditionally, marketers struggled to search for specific queries such as “children at a birthday party” on Instagram, often relying on keywords and hoping that creators had accurately tagged their uploads. Catch+Release addresses this challenge by utilizing advanced image recognition technology to detect scenes and objects within various media assets.

Despite its unique capabilities, the search engine has a significant limitation: it cannot browse the internet independently. Catch+Release typically collaborates with creators to license their content, asking them to upload their media and connect their social accounts to the platform. Following a creator onboarding initiative launched earlier this year, the platform now boasts 600 creators and over 300,000 indexed items.

In preliminary tests, we found that while the search engine effectively located images relevant to specific queries, the results for videos were inconsistent. For example, a search for “a dog playing in the park” returned some videos that featured no dogs at all. The company has acknowledged this and is continuously working to enhance its recognition capabilities.

To date, Catch+Release has raised $31.3 million in funding, including an $8 million extension round disclosed last month. The company's lineup of investors features notable names like Accel, Cervin, Stagwell, HarbourVest Partners, Kevin Durant’s venture firm 35V, and Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta.