KOR Protocol raised $7.5 million in Series A funding at a $100 million valuation to build a clearinghouse for creative assets in the AI economy. The round was led by 1kx and Blockchain Capital, with participation from Republic Crypto, Sfermion, Animoca Brands, Solana, Avalanche, and others. The London-based company is addressing a gap that independent creators know well: AI has made production cheaper, but discovery, distribution, and payment still rely on fragmented manual processes.
What the platform does
KOR's system registers creative output, uses AI agents to guide talent, routes opportunities to labels, agencies, and platforms, and speeds up payment flows. The company starts with entertainment, where attention and upside are high, but scouting, data, deal flow, and revenue collection often misalign with who actually creates the work.
The platform is built around three layers. The production layer establishes origin, authenticity, and ownership, turning content into verifiable assets. The distribution layer uses intelligence and workflow tools to match talent and content with the right partners. The monetization layer manages payments, splits, commissions, and licensing flows.
Proof of traction
Since launch, KOR reports more than 1 million lifetime sign-ups, 400,000 connected wallets, over 1,000 IP partners, and more than $2 million in gross revenue. IP partners include Black Mirror, Beatport, mau5trap, Imogen Heap, Banijay Group, and KDDI. These names signal demand from both creators and large entertainment businesses for infrastructure that handles talent, IP, and data in one place.
A CEO who operates on both sides
Ritty Quin was appointed CEO late last year. He holds a PhD from UCL, started his career at ByteDance, and is a YouTube Partner and electronic music producer signed to Live Nation Asia. His tracks have charted on Beatport's Top 100 House and been played on BBC Radio 1 Dance, and he headlined Creamfields Asia in 2025. That dual perspective shapes how he frames the problem.
"AI has removed many of the barriers to creating professional work, but it has not fixed what happens next," Quin said. "As both an artist and an operator, I know how difficult it is to translate strong work and audience momentum into distribution, partnerships, and sustainable revenue. KOR is building the system that connects those pieces by helping talent get recognized earlier, reach the right opportunities, and build lasting careers."
Tools already running on the protocol
Several applications are live on KOR. KORUS is a music remixing and creation tool that lets artists release official packs for fans and creators to remix. Pacer works as an AI operating system for music, supporting release strategy, audience intelligence, and partner outreach. VRSNS, Streamline, and KOR Hubs round out the suite, giving creators a shared environment to manage output, data, and deals.
Why this matters for creatives
As AI drives more content, more agents, and more transactions, the need for clear ownership trails and fast payment rails grows. KOR is positioning its protocol as the layer where creative assets are verified, routed, and settled. For music producers and remix artists, tools like KORUS offer a way to monetize remixes while keeping rights intact. For vocal artists and songwriters, an AI Learning Path for Vocal Artists & Songwriters can provide practical guidance as these new workflows take shape. Independent musicians who have struggled with opaque royalty splits and slow payments may find that a clearinghouse model cuts the wait and puts revenue closer to the source.
Creatives who treat their output as verifiable assets early on-registering work, understanding splits, and using tools that surface opportunities-will be better positioned when demand arrives. Resources like AI for Creatives can help make sense of the shifting landscape without the hype.
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