👋 Hi there. I’m Nene, co-founder of the Artizen Fund for Human Creativity. Subscribe, follow us, or join our community to help raise money for your next big idea.
At Artizen, our mission is to help creators raise money for breakthroughs in art, science, technology, and design. In this guide, you’ll discover how to successfully fund your next project with Artizen. Got questions? I’m always here to help.
Or for auditory learners, please listen to our talk.
What exactly is Artizen?
It’s ok. We get asked this a lot. Artizen is a community fund for art, science, technology, and design. We partner with mission-driven brands like Protocol Labs and Stability AI to fund projects at the frontier of human creativity. To date, Artizen has awarded over $1,000,000 to projects featuring major talent like Cate Blanchett, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and legendary director Terrance Malick.
How does it work?
Each season, submissions are reviewed by our community and the strongest projects are curated for the Official Selection. Once in competition, projects sell cultural Artifacts to unlock match funding and climb our leaderboard. At the end of the season, the project with the most Artifacts sold claims the prestigious Artizen Prize.
Artizen Guide to Funding Big Ideas
Step 1: Submit Your Project
From oil paintings to open-source code, Artizen accepts any type of project that meets our Curation Guidelines and qualifies for one of our sponsored Match Funds. Before you submit, makes sure your project follows these best practices:
Make Your Artifact Amazing
Visually stunning Artifacts that use GIFs or videos perform the best. Make sure your Artifact is square and has NO text or graphic overlays.Use Simple Language
Avoid jargon or overly technical language. Use as few words as possible to clearly convey what your project is about and why it matters.
Include a Pitch Deck
While optional, we highly recommend you include a Pitch Deck for your project. Not sure how to make one? Read our Pitch Deck Guidelines.
Got questions? Read How to Submit Projects
Step 2: Promote Your Submission
Only Artifact holders are allowed to vote for submissions. So it is important that you know how to politely promote your submission to the folks who will ultimately decide whether or not to curate your project.
Connect on Console
Join our private community on Console and share regular updates about your project. Always include a link to your submission page.Engage on X
Follow Artizen and post regular updates about your project. Make sure to always tag @ArtizenFund and include a link to your submission page.Listen to Community Feedback
Always respond to comments and questions, and if you agree with the feedback make updates to your submission accordingly.
Got questions? Read How to Get Curated
Step 3: Compete for Funding
Once curated, there are three ways to raise money for your project:
Sell Artifacts
Throughout the season, sell open edition Artifacts to your fans, followers, and friends for 0.01 ETH each (~$20).Unlock Match Funding
The more Artifacts you sell, the more match funding you unlock from our generous sponsors.Win the Artizen Prize
The project that sells the most Artifacts by the end of the season wins the Artizen Prize and receive a large cash award.
Got questions? Read How to Compete for Funding.
Important Tips
Promote your Artifact sale
To raise money for your project, you’ll need to promote your Artifact sale to your fans, followers, and friends. From social media to one-on-one outreach, leverage the unique strengths of each channel to create a supportive community around your project. We suggest you post frequently on X and tag @ArtizenFund; engage with our private community on Console; use email campaigns and personal outreach via text, DMs, or phone calls; host virtual and in-person events; and explore creative new ways to connect with your supporters and build community around your project.
Artifacts deliver value for collectors
Unlike traditional crowdfunding where backers get a t-shirt or mug, your supporters earn cultural Artifacts when they help fund your project. To successfully sell Artifacts, focus on the value they deliver.
Artifacts give collectors the power to:
Curate our Official Selection: Artifacts give you the power to vote for projects you love and help curate our Official Selection.
Join a Vibrant Community: Artifacts give you access to a vibrant community of artists, scientists, coders, and creators of every kind.
Invest in Positive Impact: Artifacts give collectors a financial stake in projects that make a positive impact. Think carbon credits, but for human creativity.
Always convey momentum
Whatever channel—social, email, or direct messages—always communicate progress. New team member? Share it. Overcome a challenge? Celebrate it. New concept art? Show it off. Keep the energy up and make everyone feel part of your journey.
Let’s fund your next big idea
As a fifth-generation artist, I know firsthand how tough it can be to get your projects off the ground. That's why I co-founded Artizen; to help creators like you raise money for projects that impact the world. We’re invested in your success and here to support you every step of the way. Together, let’s fund your next big idea!
I'm going to be writing a lot more for Artizen, so feedback on my articles is always welcome! Let me know what you'd like to learn about!
Thank you for the detailed overview with links. Will now dive into each link.