π Artizen Guidebook
Learn how to fund breakthroughs in art, science, technology, and culture.
Welcome to Artizen
Thanks for joining our mission to fund human creativity.
Artizen is more than a platform. Itβs a new kind of gameβone designed to be fun, fair, and rewarding for everyone who plays.
Why invent a new game? Because the old ways of funding art, science, technology, and culture are broken. The hoops we force creators to jump throughβthe impossible odds stacked against them; it's a rigged game with dumb rules that celebrate conformity over creativity.
At Artizen, weβre flipping the board. Here, anyone can launch their own fund to support the projects that matter most to their community. We've raised millions for artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and creators of every kind. Not by gatekeepingβbut by making the rules fair, the incentives clear, and the process fun.
Treat this guidebook like a manual for your favorite game: not a list of chores, but an invitation to play.
Together, letβs fund human creativity.
Love,
βRenΓ© Pinnell
βFounder of Artizen
β
βP.S. I'm OBSESSED
π Quickstart
Artizen is a funding platform for creators. Each season:
Sponsors raise money for community Funds.
Creators submit projects to those Funds.
Everyone votes. Top projects get curated.
Curated projects sell Artifactsβa new kind of digital collectibleβto their fans.
Each sale unlocks match funding.
Sell the most Artifacts, win cash prizes at seasonβs end.
The goal is simple: fund breakthroughs in art, science, technology, and culture.
π Setup
Three ways to play. Choose your path.
Launch a new Fund
Support the creators in your community by launching a new Fund.
ββ Apply to launch a FundBecome a Sponsor
Raise money for your community and earn rewards by sponsoring a Fund.
ββ Become a sponsorSubmit Your Project
Compete for match funding and cash prizes by submitting your project to Funds.
ββ Submit your project
πΉοΈ Gameplay
Each season has two phases: Curation and Competition.
π³οΈ Curation
Earn Voting Power
Back projects, sponsor Funds, or engage to earn voting power.Vote for Projects
Cast votes for your favorite projects. Smash that vote button!Get Curated
Top projects get curated for Funds and move on to the next phase.
π Competition
Sell Artifacts
Fans buy cultural Artifacts to earn rewards and support projects they love.Unlock Match Funding
Sell $10 in Artifacts, get $10 matched by each Fund backing your project.Win Cash Prizes
Each Fund awards a cash prize to its top-selling project. And the top 3 projects across all Funds win the prestigious Artizen Prize.
πΈ Payouts
Where the money goes each season.
π¦ How Funding Flows
100% of sponsor dollars go to Funds. Artizen takes no cut.
10% of each Fund becomes a cash prize for the top project.
The other 90% is split equally among curated projects as Available Match Funding. Every $1 in Artifact sales unlocks $1 from each Fund backing the projectβwhile funds last.
Any unused match funding rolls over for next season.
π° How Creators Get Paid
Creators keep 100% of their Artifact salesβArtizen takes no cutβbut the money is held until the end of the season.
Creators receive one combined payout at seasonβs end: Artifact sales + match funding + any cash prizes.
π Example
Josh starts the Public Art Fund for Portland creators. He raises $10,000 from neighbors and local businesses. 10%βor $1,000βis set aside as a cash prize for the top project. The remaining $9,000 is split equally among the top 3 curated projects selected by community vote:
Street Mural - a community painting created by Victor
Tree Sculpture - a whimsical statue created by Sarah
Little Library - a network of micro-libraries created by Zach
Each curated project receives $3,000 in Available Match Funding. To unlock that money, they sell cultural Artifacts to their fans. For every $10 raised in Artifact sales, $10 of match funding is unlockedβuntil it runs out.
Street Mural π¨
βSells $3,500 in Artifacts β unlocks full $3,000 match + wins $1,000 prize
βTotal Raised = $7,500Tree Sculpture π³
βSells $3,000 in Artifacts β unlocks full $3,000 match
βTotal Raised = $6,000Little Library π
βSells $2,000 in Artifacts β unlocks $2,000 match
βTotal Raised = $4,000
Little Library didnβt unlock its full $3,000 in match funding, so the remaining $1,000 rolled over to the next season of the Public Art Fund.
But hereβs the twist: Sarahβs Tree Sculpture was also curated for the Harmonia Fund for female artists, which added $2,000 in match funding. That means her $3,500 in sales unlocked $3,000 from the Public Art Fund plus $2,000 from Harmoniaβraising her total to $8,500.
This reveals a key strategy: getting curated by multiple Funds multiplies your match. One dollar can unlock $2, $3, or more depending on how many Funds back your project.
Victorβs Street Mural took it even further. It ranked second across all projects and won a $5,000 Artizen Prizeβbringing his total to $17,000.
The takeaway? Get curated by as many Funds as possible. Sell as many Artifacts as you can. Thatβs how you win big.
π€‘π₯π€«β€οΈ
This is such a great space for creating, this was my idea but never imagined it could turn out to be so much fun!