Flattr

Flattr was a Swedish microdonation subscription service that allowed users to financially support online content creators. The company was founded in March 2010 by Peter Sunde and Linus Olsson, who are also known for co-founding The Pirate Bay. The initial concept was born out of the frustration of creators struggling to monetize their work through advertising alone. Flattr's platform aimed to create a direct link between creators—such as bloggers, musicians, and journalists—and their audience.

The service operated on a subscription model where users would set a monthly budget. In its first iteration, users clicked a "Flattr" button on participating websites, and at the end of the month, their budget was distributed among the creators they had 'flattrd'. The company generated revenue by taking a 10% commission on the transactions. In 2012, Flattr secured €1.6 million in funding from Passion Capital Investments and Federico Pirzio-Biroli.

In May 2016, Flattr partnered with Eyeo GmbH, the company behind Adblock Plus, to develop "Flattr Plus". This new version evolved into a "zero-click" system, utilizing a browser extension to automatically distribute a user's monthly budget based on their engagement with content, eliminating the need to manually click a button. This collaboration led to Eyeo GmbH acquiring Flattr in April 2017 for an undisclosed amount, with the goal of creating a more seamless and fair way to fund online content. After the acquisition, Olsson continued to lead operations while Sunde took on an advisory role. The service officially shut down in November 2023.

Keywords: micropayments, microdonations, content creators, online payments, creator economy, digital donations, subscription service, content monetization, Eyeo, Peter Sunde, Linus Olsson, Adblock Plus, browser extension, online tipping, financial support, digital content funding, payment platform, Flattr Plus, social payments