Swedish startup DUIU has raised new funding to launch a social video platform designed to replace passive scrolling with participation-driven content systems.

While platforms like TikTok and Instagram have optimised for consumption at scale, DUIU says it is built on a different premise, specifically “that visibility should be earned through interaction, not dictated by opaque algorithms. The shift comes as regulators and brands increasingly question how algorithmic feeds shape attention and distribution”.

At the core of the platform is a new format for short-form video. Users respond to videos in structured threads, where contributions compete for visibility based on community voting. Instead of publishing standalone content into a feed, each video becomes part of a shared, evolving context — where people build on each other’s ideas and determine outcomes together.

“The way a platform is monetised directly shapes how it behaves,” commented Pontus Hörnby Liljeblad, DUIU CEO and co-founder. “DUIU is built to unlock participation at scale, where value is created through what people do — not just what they watch.”

For brands, this introduces a different model of marketing. Instead of paying for impressions, brands launch prize-backed participatory campaigns — turning audiences into contributors who respond, vote, and generate both content and distribution. As campaigns grow, participation drives reach, and reach drives further participation.

“Creators have what every marketer wants: an audience that listens. The brands winning today are the ones smart enough to partner, not interrupt,” added Greg Paull, a specialist in independent marketing consulting.

DUIU will initially launch in Brazil. The rollout is led by João Villa Savatin, an early member of TikTok’s Brazil expansion team. Ahead of launch, the company has onboarded creators with a combined reach of more than 45 million followers, who are now activating early communities. DUIU says it will use Brazil to validate its participation model before expanding globally.

Other posts by :

1. Markets braced for SpaceX IPO
2. Eutelsat shares crash despite good news
3. Analyst: Years of subs growth ahead for Starlink
4. SES CEO: “Multi-orbit is now key”
5. More details emerge on SpaceX IPO
6. Viasat confident despite SpaceX threats
7. Blue Origin launch pad destroyed
8. AST SpaceMobile’s story “more than hype”
9. Musk to merge Tesla with SpaceX?

Categories: Articles, Business, Funding, Social Media

Tags: brazil, duiu, social media, tiktok