Shade raises $14M to speed up media search for creative teams
Creative teams waste hours searching through sprawling media libraries for specific clips, images, and footage. Shade, a New York-based startup, is addressing the problem with a cloud platform that lets teams find media using plain-language queries instead of manual file browsing.
The company closed a $14 million financing round in March led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital. Shade has now raised $20 million total, with additional backing from General Catalyst, SignalFire, and Contrary.
How it works
Shade's search engine identifies specific moments within videos. A query like "person with a laptop against a snowy backdrop" returns matching clips with exact timestamps, eliminating the need to scrub through footage manually.
The platform automatically transcribes video and applies facial recognition to people labeled in the system. It also indexes images and documents, making content searchable across file types.
Files stream directly to your local system without requiring full downloads first. You can start editing almost immediately, even on slower connections. The platform also lets you "pin" frequently used files for offline access.
Built for collaboration
Shade includes feedback tools tied to specific video timestamps, role-based access controls, and branded collections with password protection and expiration dates. These features address the typical workflow of creative teams working with clients and stakeholders.
The startup targets agencies, sports media teams, brands, real estate companies, and podcasters. A plan for small teams costs $20 per user per month and includes unlimited indexing and 500 GB of active storage per seat.
What's next
Shade plans to expand search capabilities across additional file types and build a no-code platform for automating workflows based on stored files. CEO Brandon Fan said the company aims to serve research and investment teams beyond creative departments.
Competitors like Poly and Memories.ai offer similar AI-powered search, but Shade rebuilt its infrastructure from the ground up rather than layering search onto existing storage systems.
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