LongJump is thrilled to announce our latest investment in UnVale, a platform for aspiring writers, illustrators, and animators. UnVale is transforming the way creators develop and share their content, opening up new opportunities for audience growth and monetization. As the latest addition to the LongJump portfolio, UnVale stands out with its unique approach to democratizing the publishing process for early-stage creatives.
UnVale is LongJump’s 38th investment out of our first fund and was selected for investment from our thirteenth application cycle, where the team revie over 200 companies. Applications for LongJump’s next funding cycle close on January 15, 2025.
About UnVale
UnVale is building a platform for emerging creatives to self-publish and grow their audiences. Whether you're a writer, comic artist, or animator, UnVale provides the tools and community to support your journey from idea to fully realized content.
For over a century, studios and publishers have tightly controlled distribution channels for creative content. UnVale aims to change that by offering a democratic, creator-driven space where talent can publish and grow in real-time, with direct audience interaction and feedback.
Why We’re Excited
- Empowering the Growing Gen Z and Alpha Demographic in a Massive Market: UnVale sees an opportunity to become the first social platform for long-form content in a $650B+ market. As younger audiences shift largely to online consumption via tools that have traditionally been focused on short character limits and videos, UnVale offers a space for long narrative creators to build and engage with their audience.
- Impressive Traction: Since launching in April, UnVale has over 130k users and a growing library of 800k original creations, UnVale has already proven its appeal. In just six months, they’ve experienced 700% user growth and 24x increases in social interactions. Their active Discord community and organic social sharing contribute to 10k+ monthly signups, showing the platform’s potential.
- Vision for the Future: UnVale’s model mirrors the success of user-generated content (UGC) platforms like YouTube and TikTok, where authenticity and community drive growth. By focusing on long-form content—whether it’s serialized stories, comics, or animations—UnVale is tapping into a market that values deep narratives and creative freedom.
Meet the Team
The UnVale team is led by seasoned entrepreneurs and experts in product development, community building, and tech. Co-founders Casey Lawlor (CEO) and Bri Clark (COO) bring backgrounds suited to building in this space, with Casey's experience as a repeat founder, and Bri's product leadership at Twitch, D&D Beyond, and Amazon Games.
LongJump, the most active pre-seed fund investing Chicago-based founders, is dedicated to empowering diverse entrepreneurs to scale their ideas into impactful businesses. The team is excited to be part of UnVale’s journey to support their mission of giving creators the tools they need to thrive.