English: Aziz Ansari at the 2011 Time 100 gala. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
VHX, NY/SF based startup that specializes in Web video distribution for independent film makers, has raised a seed round of $1.25 million led by Lerer Ventures.
According to TechCrunch, at the beginning of last year founders Casey Pugh and Jamie Wilkinson launched VHX.tv, a site that let users discover and share new videos online. Lately, however, the two have been working on providing a platform that directly connects independent artists to their fans. What resulted was the release of a few popular videos by VHX, like Aziz Ansari’s comedy special Dangerously Delicious, which sold for $5 a piece directly on the comedian’s website.
Customers were allowed to stream the movie at any time or download it in multiple formats, DRM-free, which is in contrast to Amazon or iTunes which have DRM and restrictions on the videos they sell. VHX has a goal to provide an alternative to using iTunes or Amazon by letting content owners create their own user experiences. Wilkinson told TechCrunch that, ““Before, the Internet was where you went if you couldn’t get a distribution deal. [But now] creators are realizing that they no longer need the distributors to reach an audience… Creators are coming around and realizing that people are really happy to open their wallets.”
The startup has reported that they have more projects in the works, but needs a few more employees for the job.
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