Peggy

What Peggy does

Peggy is a Toronto-based social marketplace for discovering, buying, and selling contemporary investment-grade art, operating across North America (Canada, US, Mexico) and parts of Europe (UK, Switzerland, Netherlands), with shipping reach to nearly 70 countries via its logistics partner ARTA. The platform serves three primary customer segments: contemporary artists seeking direct market access and resale royalties, galleries seeking expanded digital reach beyond their physical locations, and collectors seeking authenticated art with verifiable provenance. Peggy was founded in 2020 by serial entrepreneurs Craig Follett (CEO) and Adam Meghji (CTO) and operates with 11-50 employees.

The company's central technology is a patented AI-powered digital fingerprinting system that uses smartphone cameras to capture optical surface details of artworks, generating unique identifiers that enable authentication, provenance tracking, and ongoing royalty payments on secondary sales. This fingerprint is the keystone of the platform: it underpins the trust mechanism that allows remote transactions between strangers and supports the differentiated royalty mechanism in which artists receive 5% and galleries receive 5% of every secondary market transaction. Surrounding product surface includes the Peggy Marketplace app (iOS, Android, web), Pegboards for curation and social sharing, Pegcasts (audio/video interviews with artists and gallerists), the Send Invoice feature for off-platform transactions using Peggy's logistics, Peggy Assistant (an AI navigation feature), and the Royalties System. Payments are processed via Stripe with PCI DSS compliance; logistics run through ARTA/ShipArta.

Peggy monetizes via marketplace commissions: a 20% take rate on primary sales (inclusive of the 2.9% Stripe processing fee), and a 25% buyer fee on secondary sales from which Peggy retains 15-20%. Send Invoice charges only the 2.9% payment processing fee for artists who use Peggy's logistics with their own collectors. The company raised CAD 10.8 million (~$8 million USD) in seed funding in February 2023 led by Real Ventures and Garage Capital, with participation from Backbone Angels, Karman Ventures, Nomad Capital, Portage Ventures, and Z Venture Capital; an earlier 2021 round included Real Ventures and Mistral Venture Partners.

Name

Peggy

Legal name

Peggy Inc.

Website

https://peggy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peggy is a Toronto-based mobile-first social marketplace where contemporary artists, galleries, and collectors buy, sell, and discover investment-grade art globally. Its core differentiator is patented AI digital fingerprinting, which enables artwork authentication, provenance tracking, and ongoing artist royalties on secondary sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Art Marketplace

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Art Dealers (45992), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collectibles, Trading Cards & Memorabilia Marketplaces (CRAFAGAE), Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Online art marketplace
• Artwork authentication
• Artist royalties
• Digital fingerprinting
• Contemporary art sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission - Primary Sales: Peggy charges a 20% commission on primary sales (first sale of artwork), which includes the 2.9% payment processing fee. If Peggy drives a net new collector to a gallery or artist, the full 20% commission applies.
2. Secondary Market Transaction Fee: For secondary sales, buyers pay 25% fee. From this, 5% goes to the artist as royalty, 5% to the gallery (if involved in primary sale), and Peggy retains 15-20%. Peggy charges no fees to sellers on secondary market transactions.
3. Send Invoice Processing Fee: For artists using Peggy's payment and logistics infrastructure with their own collectors, only the 2.9% payment processing fee applies (no 20% commission). This enables royalty eligibility for future secondary sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Peggy operates a mobile-first social marketplace that connects contemporary artists, galleries, and collectors for the discovery, purchase, and resale of original artwork. The platform combines an auction-style buying experience with proprietary AI-powered digital fingerprinting technology that authenticates artworks and tracks provenance across ownership changes. It also enables artists and galleries to earn ongoing royalties (5% to artist, 5% to gallery) on secondary market transactions, a feature unavailable in the traditional art market.

Product overview

Peggy is a social marketplace platform for discovering, buying, and selling contemporary art. The core offering consists of the Peggy Marketplace app (available on iOS and Android), which integrates digital fingerprinting technology for artwork authentication, a Pegboards curation feature, Pegcasts audio content, the Send Invoice tool, and a Royalties System ensuring artists and galleries receive compensation on secondary sales. The platform connects artists, galleries, and collectors with secure payments via Stripe and specialized shipping through ARTA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peggy Marketplace A social marketplace platform (iOS, Android, web) for discovering, buying, and selling contemporary original artwork. Connects artists and galleries with collectors through an auction-style bidding experience, AI-powered digital fingerprinting for authentication, automated royalties on secondary sales (5% to artist, 5% to gallery), secure payments via Stripe, and global shipping through ARTA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Artists receive 5% royalty on every secondary market sale
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARTAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeggy's logistics partner powering shipping services. ARTA works with a global network of service providers for high-value goods delivery with transparency on cost and status. Handles shipping from 70+ countries including insurance and professional art handling.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor for secure payments and financial services across the Peggy platform. Handles payment processing, escrow during authentication period, and royalty/fee disbursements.
• Chilli Art ProjectsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGallery partner showcased on Peggy's platform. Contemporary art gallery discovering emerging talent in the market.
• HUNT GALLERYminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorToronto-based contemporary art gallery partner on Peggy's platform.
• United ContemporaryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContemporary art gallery in Toronto's West End, established 2018, partner on Peggy's platform.
• Secret 7"minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGallery partner for charitable art sales supporting War Child; notable for limited edition vinyl sleeve design charity auction.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Artsy: Artsy is the largest online marketplace for original art, connecting collectors with galleries and artists globally. Directly competes with Peggy on the primary online art discovery and purchase experience, with a much larger inventory and established brand.
• Saatchi Art: Saatchi Art is a leading online art gallery selling original works from artists worldwide, with curated collections and a focus on contemporary and investment-grade art. Closely comparable to Peggy in target buyer, price point, and artist-onboarding model.
• Artnet: Artnet is a long-established art market platform combining an auction house, gallery network, and price database. Comparable to Peggy in marketplace + auction functionality and global collector reach, with deeper secondary-market data.
• Singulart: Singulart is an online gallery selling curated contemporary art from artists worldwide. Overlaps with Peggy on artist-led listings, contemporary focus, and global shipping, though it lacks authentication tech and secondary royalty mechanics.
• Artfinder: Artfinder is an online marketplace connecting independent artists with collectors. Similar primary-sale value proposition and price points to Peggy, with comparable artist-onboarding model but no proprietary authentication or royalty layer.
• Artmajeur: Artmajeur is a European online art marketplace selling original artworks and limited editions from a global artist base. Comparable to Peggy in horizontal marketplace structure and SME/individual seller base, though with weaker authentication infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Masterworks: Masterworks is a fintech platform enabling fractional investment in blue-chip art. Comparable to Peggy in the 'art as investable asset' framing and authentication focus, but operates via securitized shares rather than direct purchase, making it adjacent rather than directly competitive.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Christie's is a global auction house with online bidding, private sales, and a marketplace for fine and contemporary art. Comparable to Peggy in online art discovery and purchase flow, but at a vastly higher price point and with established authentication provenance.
• Sotheby's: Sotheby's is a leading global auction house with online auctions and a marketplace for fine art and collectibles. Comparable to Peggy in online auction functionality and global collector base, though Peggy targets a lower price band and contemporary-only segment.
• Etsy: Etsy is a broad online marketplace with a significant art and prints category. Comparable to Peggy in horizontal marketplace model, PLG onboarding, and transaction-fee revenue, though Etsy's art category lacks authentication and provenance infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/peggyart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peggy-com

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peggy