Funding
How is Subvert funded?
Subvert has raised $650,000 in investment from community members who share our vision for collective ownership. This funding allows us to build a high-quality platform while maintaining our cooperative principles.
Transparency: VIEW INVESTMENT TERMS from our initial fundraising round
Our Investors:
- Garry Elevator (John Garry) Supporter-Member, Brooklyn - $600,000
- w0rmw00d, Artist-Member, Oakland - $10,000
- Harry Lachenmeyer, Supporter-Member, London - $5,000
- Jason Prado, Supporter-Member, San Francisco - $15,000
- Artist-Member, Berlin - $20,000
Before this, the project was initially supported by two fellowship grants totaling $35,000 awarded to founder Austin Robey:
- $15,000 from IDEO CoLab's Creative Residency Program (May 2024)
- $20,000 from Center for Cultural Innovation's AmbitioUS initiative (October 2024)
As of July 2025, we also earned $125k+ in revenue from selling our zines.
What is Subvert's position on funding?
Subvert recognizes that adequate funding is necessary to build a high-quality platform, but we approach fundraising carefully:
- We seek funding transparently, with community input
- We implement safeguards to preserve collective ownership and control
- We accept funding through inclusive decision-making processes
- We aim to align interests between users and investors
- We prioritize non-extractive funding sources where possible
Our goal is to raise only what's needed while maintaining our cooperative principles.
An underfunded project doesn't serve anyone. Artists need high-quality, resilient services, and workers deserve fair compensation to avoid burnout. Adequate funding is essential to create a platform that truly meets the needs of our community while ensuring the well-being of those building it.
Any future funding will be approved by our democratically elected board representing artists, labels, supporters, and workers.
Learn more
Learn more about how funding works with Subvert in our model canvas: https://subvert.fm/model/