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Mother.tech is a Platform for Creativity, not Performance

Founded in 2023 by Kelsey Falter and Raissa Chagas, the startup uses a multi-model AI render pipeline to power modular creative tools called “gens.” Artists, photographers, and designers can turn their visual style into a one-tap generator that users can apply to their own photos, references, or text to get publish-ready results in seconds. 

Street photographer Brian Alcazar, known for capturing car culture, has already created a series of generators, including Gassed Up, to showcase his style. Every time someone uses a generator, its creator earns a share of the revenue. The creator program is currently in testing and will open to everyone after launch.

“We spent years inside the biggest platforms and saw how the systems actually work — quietly taking more from users than they give back. Degen is the app we wanted to exist. Growing up, the internet felt like a creative playground with less pressure. This app opens that experience again. I’m having fun regenerating myself by degenerating,” Chagas said.

Unlike mainstream social platforms that organize content around algorithmic feeds and follower counts, Degen structures its experience around taste-based channels and a remixable personal library. It also introduces a usage-based creator economy where artists earn revenue each time someone runs their generator, decoupling compensation from reach for the first time.

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How The Platform Works

While most AI creative tools like Adobe Firefly and Canva’s AI suite focus on polished results, Degen prioritizes speed, specificity, and what the founders call the unfiltered, participatory side of internet culture. Content is private by default and organized into channels, allowing users to share with others who have similar interests rather than posting to an algorithm-driven feed.

New generators drop every day, reflecting emerging aesthetics and subcultures almost in real time. Users can remix and combine generators from different creators, layer edits, and then download or publish their results. Each generation costs a token, which users can either buy or earn through referrals.

Speaking on how the business process works, Falter said, “Degen operates on a token-based system. Each gen uses a token that users can purchase or earn through referrals. We also have a creator economy component where artists who build generators earn a share every time their tool is used, creating an ongoing, usage-based revenue stream.”

Kelsey Falter, co-founder and CEO of Mother.tech, said that content on Degen is private by default, with no engagement metrics surfaced to users, no “for you” page optimizing for retention, and no pressure to perform for an invisible audience. She contrasted this with Instagram and TikTok, noting that they make money when users stay on the app longer, while Degen makes money when creators build generators and tools that people want to use.

Next Steps for Mother.tech

Degen launched publicly this week on iOS and Android via an invite-only beta. Over the next six months, the Brooklyn-based platform will expand its creator program (currently in pilot), scale the daily generator drops, and grow the community of artists building generators. They’ll also continue development of a broader product portfolio as Mother.tech is built into a vertically integrated creative studio.

“In the near term, we’re focused on the Degen launch. We want to demonstrate that people care about being on apps that prioritize play over performance. Longer term, MOTHER is building a vertically integrated studio with multiple apps, tools, and games, all built on the principle that people – not platforms – should own their data and their creative output,” says Falter.

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This round was led by Google Ventures (GV), with participation from Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Box Group, and Shine Capital.  

The post GV Leads $15M Round for AI Startup Mother.tech appeared first on UrbanGeekz.