The company pivoted to being a data provider in 2023 and now supplies datasets of images, videos, design assets, and gaming and 3D content to AI labs. Wirestock said its platform has signed up more than 700,000 artists and designers who complete different tasks for data collection, similar to freelancers on platforms like Fiverr.

Mikayel Khachatryan, the company’s co-founder and CEO, said Wirestock was transparent about its shift and allowed artists to opt out of its data supply business (in 2022, the platform had over 100,000 photographers on its platform). Khachatryan didn’t specify how many people switched over as data providers for AI, only saying “the majority” did.

“Initially, a lot of our deals were just selling what we had off the shelf, like our existing library. But then it turned into a lot of custom requests for content and data, and that created new opportunities for creators, and the platform just took off,” he said.

The startup said on Thursday it has raised $23 million in Series A funding to build out the new data supply business. The round was led by Nava Ventures and saw participation from SBVP (co-founded by Sheryl Sandberg), Formula VC, and I2BF Ventures.