Back to Directory

2025-03-04

Headquarters

San Francisco, CA

Employee Count

4

Year Founded

2024

Business model

B2B SaaS & Fee associated with takedowns

Early traction

Notable Customers such as Hellstar, CMG Worldwide, and Mainfactor.

Setting the Scene
  • Infringement on intellectual property costs brands and entertainment companies millions in lost revenue each year.

  • Here’s why:

    • Outdated Detection: Brands rely on word-of-mouth or customer complaints to find counterfeit goods.

    • Costly and Manual Enforcement: Tracking and taking down infringers requires expensive legal teams.

    • Lack of Scale: Thousands of marketplaces and social platforms make manual enforcement impossible.

  • This week’s company uses AI to detect and takedown infringers, helping brands reclaim lost revenue.

In a Sentence

Podqi is is an AI-powered platform that automates the detection, takedown, and retroactive compensation for infringing on brands' and entertainment companies' IP.

  • Detection: Uses AI to continuously scan marketplaces, social media, and websites for counterfeit goods, unlicensed artwork, and trademark violations.

  • Takedown: Automates the process of filing infringement claims and requesting removal across major platforms, saving brands time and legal costs.

  • Retroactive Compensation: Helps brands monetize past infringements by negotiating retroactive licensing deals or settlements with repeat offenders.

Bulleted Version

Podqi is like Turnitin for IP — but instead of scanning essays for plagiarism, it scans the internet for unauthorized use of brands' assets.
Due Diligence
What We Like
  • Massive Market Opportunity: With the annual cost of IP loss between $225 billion and $600 billion, brands and entertainment companies are desperate for scalable IP enforcement solutions that go beyond traditional, manual legal approaches..

  • AI as an Accelerator: While AI powers Podqi’s ability to detect and track infringement at scale, its true value comes from seamlessly integrating automation with legal workflows, enforcement mechanisms, and monetization strategies that make IP protection more effective and profitable.

  • Multiple Income Streams: Podqi uses a multi-stream model of SaaS subscriptions, enforcement fees, and revenue sharing to make brand protection a profit driver.

Potential Risks
  • Detection Accuracy: AI detection could misidentify legitimate sellers or fan art as infringements, leading to takedown requests on non-infringing content.

  • Legal Complexity & Global Enforcement: IP laws vary widely across regions, making enforcement inconsistent and requiring legal expertise to navigate international disputes effectively.

  • Customer Adoption & Education: Some brands may not fully understand the financial impact of IP infringement or the value of monetizing retroactive licensing, slowing adoption.

Founder Profile
TW
Trevor West, CEO
Previously worked in U.S federal AI software sales.
JX
Jesse Xu, CTO
Previously built Gen AI for Google Docs.
IE
Ivan Esmeral, CPO
Built large scale data pipelines at Microsoft.

WhyPodqi

By turning IP enforcement into a revenue opportunity, Podqi offers a compelling solution for brands losing millions to unauthorized use of their assets, with the potential to become tech royalty.

*Nothing in this content constitutes investment or legal advice. Conduct independent diligence and consult professional advisers before making investment decisions.*

Explore

other features

SF

2026-02-10

Sotira

Sotira helps brands monetize surplus inventory by automating resale, compliance, and logistics through an AI‑powered marketplace of verified buyers.

Business model

Subscription fee + take rate on transactions

Read More

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2026-01-27

BuildingAssets

BuildingAssets.ai is a platform that deploys AI agents into a building’s tech stack to surface hidden savings and take action to capture them.

Business model

Annual recurring revenue (per building) + referral fees from trusted service partners

Read More

Nashville, TN

2026-01-13

Watt Data

Watt Data is an AI data platform that helps companies find high-intent customers by connecting real-world behaviors into insights that tell you who to target and why now.

Business model

SaaS plus consumption-based pricing

Read More