Oodls - the user-generated content marketplace
by Startacus Admin
Oodls, the Scottish startup that's "licensing great content from talented Instagrammers across the globe for businesses big and small."
Anyone who creates content on websites or blogs, or perhaps even posts a lot on social media, will understand how vital good stock photographs are. A good picture breaks up the wall of text, draws the viewer’s eye, enhances the words with evocative imagery...and makes articles look a bit longer. But the keyword is ‘good’. That doesn’t just mean high resolution or touched up nicely to make the colours pop; it means something that looks real, authentic, familiar, relatable. We have written before about startups who are taking on the stock photo market from different angles, with the likes of Shuttout, UKBlackTech and, more tenuously, Serelay. Today, we are looking to Scotland for the next.
Edinburgh-based startup OODLS has a similar idea to Shuttout, in that they believe that people deserve the opportunity to be paid for the work they are sharing with the world, while simultaneously providing that real, authentic quality to stock photos.
Because they are real - they are photos taken by ordinary people who would have taken those photos anyway and uploaded them to Instagram. These are photos that were not taken with commercialisation in mind, but this doesn’t mean the photos can’t be beautiful - just a glance at the samples on OODLS’ home page confirms that.
OODLS is easy to use, simple to navigate, and clear in the usage of the imagery. You won’t need to worry about getting a letter from someone’s lawyer. Content creators set the price of their photos themselves, keep 100% of the license fee, and retain copyright. If you find an image you would like to use, but the resolution isn’t quite what you need, it may even be possible for OODLS’ AI to upscale it to 300dpi.
In early September, OODLS’ CEO and founder Sarah Stenhouse was one of those celebrated at a Women in Tech Scotland event in their hometown of Edinburgh. This followed receiving £243,000 in funding from Equity Gap, Gabriel, and the Scottish Investment Bank, who clearly see the value of this fresh take on the market.
As a platform that uses a lot of imagery in our articles, we are particularly interested to see a startup looking at stock photos through a different lens!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
With more companies turning to influencers to connect with their audience, we ask what makes influencer marketing have such a high impact effect?
Manchester fintech GoodBox, who helps charities embrace the rise of fintech through digital and contactless payments, have raised over £2m for UK charities.
The startup that has created a 3D product configuration and visualisation platform
.jpeg)
How exactly do you go about finding the best office for your startup? Here's some top advice on finding the right place for you.
We take a look at yulife, a new InsurTech startup shaking up the life insurance sector, with customers earning rewards for healthy activities.
A study recently carried out by Volteface, has been revealed that social media platforms are frequently being used in order to advertise illicit drugs.
When it comes to setting up a startup there are certain things to consider before you set up your business in the city.
The edtech startup that's helping students learn by putting the core syllabus to music
The startup that's creating a learning experience to inspire the next generation of STEM learners, starting with Maths.
Not having the right team is a common reason why startups fail. Here are some of the key personalities and soft skills you'll need in your team.
Published on: 15th September 2019
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Manchester fintech GoodBox hits £2m donated to UK charities 21st Oct 2019 Manchester fintech GoodBox, who helps charities embrace the rise of fintech through digital and contactless payments, have raised over £2m for UK charities.
- Event at Startup Week Dublin to explore startup collaboration between NI and Ireland 11th Oct 2019 With the impact of BREXIT still very much an uncertainty, our evening event at Startup Week Dublin will explore startup collaboration and opportunities between NI and Ireland.
- Startups shaping future of the smart built environment wanted for RElab programme 8th Oct 2019 Tech startups focused on smart buildings and cities, smart grid, construction tech, predictive maintenance, and other tech solutions - take note!
- Tech startups in telecom infrastructure sought for BT run competition 3rd Oct 2019 BT and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) have launched the third annual competition for startups in telecom infrastructure
