Podqi ✏️

Opening Remarks

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had some fascinating conversations about what truly differentiates a technology startup in an increasingly commoditized, AI-enabled world.

While I’ve long believed distribution is the key driver, another factor keeps coming up: a founder’s ability to control and sell a narrative. In a landscape where technology is more accessible than ever, shaping perception might be just as important as the product itself.

I’ll be diving deep into this in an upcoming LinkedIn post (follow me to catch it). In the meantime, if you have a strong opinion, hit reply and let me know. Now, onto this week’s feature:

-Brett

Bulletpitch’s publication covers the hottest early-stage startup before being picked up by larger media outlets. If that’s you, apply here.

Setting the Scene

• Infringement on intellectual property costs brands and entertainment companies millions in lost revenue each year.

• Here’s why:

  • Outdated Detection: Brands rely on word-of-mouth or customer complaints to find counterfeit goods.

  • Costly and Manual Enforcement: Tracking and taking down infringers requires expensive legal teams.

  • Lack of Scale: Thousands of marketplaces and social platforms make manual enforcement impossible.

• This week’s company uses AI to detect and takedown infringers, helping brands reclaim lost revenue.

In a Sentence

Podqi is is an AI-powered platform that automates the detection, takedown, and retroactive compensation for infringing on brands' and entertainment companies' IP.

• Detection: Uses AI to continuously scan marketplaces, social media, and websites for counterfeit goods, unlicensed artwork, and trademark violations.

• Takedown: Automates the process of filing infringement claims and requesting removal across major platforms, saving brands time and legal costs.

• Retroactive Compensation: Helps brands monetize past infringements by negotiating retroactive licensing deals or settlements with repeat offenders.

The Basics

• Industry: Legal Tech

• Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

• Year Founded: 2024

• Employee Count: 4

• Investors: General Catalyst, Soma Capital, and Afore Capital

• Business Model: B2B SaaS & Fee associated with takedowns

• Early Traction: Notable Customers such as Hellstar, CMG Worldwide, and Mainfactor.

Event Board

• Austin Tech Carnival: Next week we are headed to Austin to host our famous Tech Carnival with Antler. Founders and our partners will be running carnival themed games or activations that incorporate their product or brand.

Weekly Feature Continued

Due Diligence

WHAT WE LIKE

• Massive Market Opportunity: With the annual cost of IP loss between $225 billion and $600 billion, brands and entertainment companies are desperate for scalable IP enforcement solutions that go beyond traditional, manual legal approaches..

• AI as an Accelerator: While AI powers Podqi’s ability to detect and track infringement at scale, its true value comes from seamlessly integrating automation with legal workflows, enforcement mechanisms, and monetization strategies that make IP protection more effective and profitable.

• Multiple Income Streams: Podqi uses a multi-stream model of SaaS subscriptions, enforcement fees, and revenue sharing to make brand protection a profit driver.

POTENTIAL RISKS

• Detection Accuracy: AI detection could misidentify legitimate sellers or fan art as infringements, leading to takedown requests on non-infringing content.

• Legal Complexity & Global Enforcement: IP laws vary widely across regions, making enforcement inconsistent and requiring legal expertise to navigate international disputes effectively.

• Customer Adoption & Education: Some brands may not fully understand the financial impact of IP infringement or the value of monetizing retroactive licensing, slowing adoption.

Founder Profile

• Trevor West, CEO:  Previously worked in U.S federal AI software sales.

• Jesse Xu, CTO: Previously built Gen AI for Google Docs.

• Ivan Esmeral, CPO: Built large scale data pipelines at Microsoft.

Comps

• Corsearch: Backed by Yukon Partners.

• Red Points: Backed by IRIS, European Investment Bank, Summit Partners, and others.

• Counterfind: Backed by Green Park & Golf Ventures, Capital Factory, Deep Space Ventures

Cast Your Vote

Last Week Today

• The Results Are In: Fluix, a software platform that optimizes data center cooling by analyzing real-time IT workload and environmental conditions, was favored in last week’s poll.

• Subscriber Feedback: “With huge data center growth and the ability for Fluix to pack more compute into a single location, there’s a massive demand for this company’s offering.”