Shade lands $14M to let creative teams search their video libraries in plain English

Creative and marketing teams often find traditional cloud storage solutions inadequate for their needs. The challenge of efficiently locating specific media files is exacerbated by the rapid increase in content generation driven by AI. In response to this growing issue, Shade, a startup based in New York, is developing a cloud storage platform tailored for agencies, sports media, consumer brands, real estate firms, and podcasters. On Wednesday, Shade announced it has raised $14 million in a funding round led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital, bringing its total funding to $20 million since its inception. Founded in 2024 by friends Brandon Fan and Emerson Dove, the company emerged from their shared frustration with existing tools like Dropbox, which they found lacking for file searches. "We built it out of our frustration as creatives," said Fan, highlighting their struggle with outdated storage solutions. Shade aims to redefine how creative files are stored and accessed, allowing companies to streamline their workflows as they produce more content. Fan likens Shade's role to that of early Customer Relationship Management systems, which transformed how businesses organized contact information. One of Shade's standout features is its natural language search functionality, enhanced by an auto-tagging system. This allows users to not only locate videos but also pinpoint exact moments within those videos that match their search queries. For example, a search for "a person holding a laptop in snow" will return relevant clips along with timestamps. Additionally, Shade automatically transcribes videos, enabling searches based on meaning and facial recognition. Another innovative aspect of Shade is its "streamable" file system, which facilitates immediate access to files without waiting for a full download. This feature proves particularly beneficial when working with large files, as users can begin editing right away. Beyond storage, Shade enhances team collaboration by enabling feedback on specific video timestamps and allowing attachments in comments for clearer direction. For teams looking to manage access, Shade provides the flexibility to create multiple links for the same assets, each with different permission settings. The platform also supports the creation of branded file collections for client deliveries, complete with password protection and expiration dates. Shade's pricing model is competitive, offering a $20 per seat, per month plan that includes unlimited drives and AI indexing, along with 500GB of active storage per user. This plan accommodates small teams of up to 15 members, with the option for 150 guest collaborators. As the demand for efficient media management grows, Shade is not alone in its mission. Competing startups like Poly and Memories.ai are also innovating in AI-driven file storage and search capabilities. Khosla Ventures' Keith Rabois emphasized that while AI has increased content creation, the management of such content remains complex. He noted that Shade's comprehensive approach, which integrates streaming, indexing, and collaboration, sets it apart from competitors that merely layer search functionalities onto existing storage frameworks. Looking ahead, Shade plans to enhance its search capabilities across various file types, including images and documents, and is developing a no-code platform that will enable creative teams to automate workflows without needing programming skills. Fan envisions this as laying the groundwork for diverse business applications, extending beyond creative teams to include sectors like research and investment.