RAW
RAW (RAWartists.com) hosts multi-genre live art showcases and operates an online platform enabling independent artists across visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft to gain exposure in cities across the US, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersAltadena, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RAW does
RAW (operating as RAWartists.com) is a private US company founded in 2003 and headquartered in Altadena, California, that hosts multi-genre live art showcases and operates an online platform for emerging independent creators. Its single core product, the RAW Artists Showcase Platform, combines collaborative in-person events with a digital artist-discovery and onboarding layer, spanning ten creative disciplines: visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft. The platform connects independent artists with art supporters at events distributed across roughly 20+ cities in the US, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
RAW firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RAW
- Legal name
- RAW
- Website
- https://rawartists.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- RAW (RAWartists.com) hosts multi-genre live art showcases and operates an online platform enabling independent artists across visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft to gain exposure in cities across the US, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RAW industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Event Showcase Platform for Independent Artists
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wedding & Bridal Shows (MPAGAFAK)
Keywords
Where RAW is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Altadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
RAW business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Artist Membership/Joining: Artists pay to join the RAW platform and gain access to showcase opportunities, promotional features, and community access
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
RAW product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RAW operates a multi-genre art showcase platform that produces collaborative live events for independent artists across visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft. Independent artists join the platform to be featured in city-based showcases, while creative entrepreneurs license the RAW format to bring these collaborative events to their local communities worldwide.
Product overview
RAW operates as a single unified platform for discovering and showcasing independent creative talent. The core offering is the RAW Artists Showcase — a live event format that brings together artists across multiple disciplines (visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft) in collaborative events run by creative entrepreneurs worldwide. The platform also offers a 'Platform by RAW Artists' offering for bringing RAW to new communities, and maintains artist resources including testimonials, FAQs, and alumni networks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Platform by RAW Artists: Platform for bringing RAW events to new communities
Products and services
- RAW Artists Showcase Platform A live event showcase platform that produces collaborative, multi-genre art showcases for independent creative professionals across visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft, with an online artist directory at rawartists.com for discovery by city and discipline.
- Platform by RAW Artists (Bring RAW to your Community) A licensable showcase format offered to creative entrepreneurs that allows them to host RAW-branded collaborative art showcase events in their own cities, enabling decentralized global distribution of the RAW experience.
Companies that use RAW
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RAW technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RAW partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
RAW competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Etsy: Global marketplace for independent makers, artists, and crafters across categories that overlap significantly with RAW's accessories, craft, beauty, and visual art segments — a free-to-list incumbent capturing the same indie creator base.
- Artsy: Large online art marketplace and editorial platform serving independent and established artists and galleries. Overlaps with RAW in artist discovery and gallery/collector access, but operates as a digital-first incumbent at much greater scale.
- Behance (Adobe): Portfolio and discovery platform for creative professionals across visual art, photography, fashion, and film. Competes with RAW for artist mindshare as a free, well-funded online showcase alternative.
- Eventbrite: Large-scale event ticketing and management platform that supports independent event organizers including art shows and showcases. Overlaps with RAW's event-promotion infrastructure and could enable competing showcase formats.
Direct peers
- Superfine Art Fair: Art fair producer focused on independent and emerging artists across multiple cities, with a curated, community-driven showcase experience that directly parallels RAW's positioning.
- Minted: Marketplace and community for independent artists and designers across multiple creative categories, using recurring artist relationships and curated selling events — closely mirrors RAW's horizontal, multi-discipline indie artist model.
- Affordable Art Fair: International art fair operator running multi-city editions featuring independent and emerging artists, with a franchised/licensed city model analogous to RAW's entrepreneur-led expansion approach.
- The Other Art Fair: Multi-city art fair that showcases emerging and independent artists, using a licensed/produced fair model in major global cities. Closest direct analog to RAW's community-led, multi-genre indie art showcase format.
- Spring/Break Art Show: Independent art fair/showcase highlighting emerging and underrepresented artists in curated exhibitions — comparable to RAW in scale, indie focus, and event-based artist exposure model.
Emerging players
- Saatchi Art: Online art gallery and marketplace focused on independent and emerging artists, offering discovery, sales, and curated exhibitions. Comparable in serving indie visual artists seeking visibility, though primarily gallery-style rather than live-event based.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
RAW social profiles
Digital presenceRAW financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RAW leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RAW funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RAW M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RAW
What does RAW do?
RAW operates a multi-genre art showcase platform that produces collaborative live events for independent artists across visual art, fashion, music, film, photography, performing art, accessories, tech, beauty, and craft. Independent artists join the platform to be featured in city-based showcases, while creative entrepreneurs license the RAW format to bring these collaborative events to their local communities worldwide.
Is RAW a public or private company?
RAW is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RAW founded?
RAW was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is RAW based?
RAW is headquartered in Altadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does RAW make money?
One revenue line is on record: artist Membership/Joining.
Who are RAW's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Etsy, Artsy, Behance (Adobe) and Eventbrite. Direct peers are Superfine Art Fair, Minted, Affordable Art Fair, The Other Art Fair and Spring/Break Art Show. Saatchi Art is listed as an emerging player.
Does RAW have an API?
No public API is recorded for RAW.
What industry is RAW in?
RAW's product category is Live Event Showcase Platform for Independent Artists. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAFAK, Wedding & Bridal Shows. Its NAICS code is 711320.