Exclusive | Adtech Innovators Unveil AI Startup to Empower Publishers and Brands During Critical Time

In an increasingly challenging landscape for publishers and brands, where AI firms scrape content for model training, Big Tech dominates search traffic, and large language models (LLMs) produce derivative articles often lacking attribution, a new solution has emerged. Firsthand, a startup launched by adtech veterans Jonathan Heller, Michael Rubenstein, and Wei Wei, aims to empower publishers and companies. On their official debut, they announced a seed round of $6.65 million, led by AI-focused Radical Ventures, known for backing innovative projects like Cohere and You.com.

Firsthand’s platform enables publishers and brands to create and distribute custom AI agents, allowing direct consumer engagement while maintaining full control over data and content. David Katz, a partner at Radical Ventures, likened this moment to a new dawn in search, cautioning about the potential consequences of losing control over monetization and data management.

Co-founder Jonathan Heller explained that publishers and brands can manage these AI agents akin to advertising campaigns, deploying them across their own sites and beyond. This strategy not only enhances consumer engagement but also provides valuable insights into customer desires. By facilitating nuanced interactions, these AI agents foster deeper connections; for instance, a reader exploring a retirement article could interact with an AI agent from a financial institution, like Chase Bank, leading to enhanced engagement and monetization opportunities.

The advertising landscape has evolved dramatically over the past 25 years, from simple display ads to complex programmatic processes and social media marketing. However, previous methods have often hindered direct, real-time connections between publishers, brands, and consumers. Traditional chatbots failed to meet these needs, and platforms like Google and Meta created walled gardens limiting data access. As LLM technologies raise fears of disruption in the media sector, the opportunity for meaningful engagement and direct control grows ever more crucial.

Michael Rubenstein emphasized this pivotal time for publishers and brands, stating that the advent of AI represents a significant opportunity. Brands that fail to harness AI risk losing control over customer relationships and data, compounding the challenges currently faced in the sector.

Firsthand aims to restore power to publishers and brands by offering the only platform that enables consumer engagement on external sites while maintaining rights and control. Their two-part solution includes Lakebed, an AI rights and data management layer, and generative marketing agents capable of facilitating personalized interactions based on approved content.

Heller pointed out that this is just the beginning for Firsthand. The platform’s potential extends to the development of syndicated AI agents, which would help prevent a concentration of power that could undermine content quality across the ecosystem. Heller stressed the importance of fostering an open economy where all stakeholders can benefit, rather than allowing a dominant front-end agent to dictate terms, which could lead to a decline in quality content production.

In summary, Firsthand offers a promising avenue for publishers and brands seeking to reclaim control in the evolving digital landscape, providing tools to engage consumers meaningfully while safeguarding their valuable content and data.