FOLLOW.ART

What FOLLOW.ART does

FOLLOW.ART is a digital infrastructure platform purpose-built for visual artists and curators, founded in 2020 by Bruno Mellis — an entrepreneur with a decade of experience in the art fair sector — and headquartered in Riga, Latvia. The core product is the FOLLOW.ART Card, a centralized digital portfolio and professional identity artifact that aggregates portfolio, biography, experience, links, contacts, and financial support options into a single shareable format accessible via link, QR code, or mobile wallet pass. The platform layers four functional surfaces onto this identity: the Connectory, a global algorithm-free searchable directory; the Community Board, a forum for open calls, exhibitions, and collaboration; Support My Practice, a Stripe Connect-powered micro-patronage feature with zero platform commission; and a booking tool for studio visits and meetings.

The business operates on a freemium model with a PRO subscription priced at €3.99/month on annual billing or €4.99/month month-to-month, unlocking expanded portfolio capacity (up to 50 works), Connectory visibility, the Community Board, Support My Practice, analytics, and booking. Distribution is primarily product-led and community-led via self-serve signup at follow.art, supported by partnerships with institutions such as the Latvian National Pavilion (Venice Biennale), VAA, All About Curating, Volta Art Fairs, and Zuzeum, plus editorial coverage in art publications. The team of under ten people is distributed across the UK, Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, and Italy, and the platform claims 3,000+ members across more than 100 countries.

Revenue is not disclosed and no external funding rounds are evidenced. The company is GDPR-compliant, registered as FOLLOW.ART Ltd in Latvia, and operates as an independent private entity. Notable recognitions include a Webby Award and inclusion of eleven members in the official Venice Biennale catalogue. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability — discovery is positioned explicitly against algorithmic ranking.

Name

FOLLOW.ART

Legal name

FOLLOW.ART Ltd

Website

https://follow.art

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FOLLOW.ART is a Riga-based digital infrastructure platform that provides artists and curators with a centralized digital portfolio Card, an algorithm-free Connectory directory, a Community Board, and zero-commission micro-patronage via Stripe, serving 3,000+ members across 100+ countries on a freemium subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Professional Portfolio Platform

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchandising & D2C Management (Artists) (MPAIAGAI), Digital Strategy & Social Media Management (Artists) (MPAIAGAH), Digital Goods & Gift Card Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAJ), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Digital portfolio platform
• Artist networking tool
• Curator directory
• Micro-patronage platform
• Creative professional identity

Headquarters

HQ city

Riga

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PRO Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription plans providing access to enhanced Card features including expanded portfolio space (up to 50 artworks), full link management, Connectory visibility, Community Board access, Support My Practice feature, Card statistics, and studio visit booking options.
2. Support My Practice (Stripe Payments): Micro-patronage feature where supporters contribute directly to artists and curators. FOLLOW.ART collects no commission from contributions - only standard Stripe processing fees apply.
3. Gift Cards: 1-year PRO subscription sold as a gift. Recipients receive 12 months of PRO access upon activation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FOLLOW.ART provides a digital Card that centralizes artists' and curators' portfolios, biographies, experience, links, and contacts into a single shareable format accessible via link, QR code, or mobile wallet. The platform layers in a global searchable directory (Connectory), a community forum (Community Board), and a zero-commission micro-patronage feature (Support My Practice) for receiving direct financial support from audiences.

Product overview

FOLLOW.ART is a digital infrastructure platform for artists and curators, centered around the FOLLOW.ART Card — a unified digital portfolio and professional identity tool. The platform operates on a tiered model: the Free Card provides basic portfolio functionality, while the PRO Card (subscription-based at €3.99–4.99/month) unlocks expanded features including 50+ artworks, financial patronage via Support My Practice, studio visit booking, and analytics. The Connectory serves as the platform's algorithm-free searchable directory for discovery, while the Community Board enables peer networking through open calls and collaboration threads. Additional offerings include Gift Cards for gifting PRO access and an Ambassador Program for community advocates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOLLOW.ART Card A digital portfolio and professional identity card that centralizes an artist's or curator's practice (portfolio, biography, experience, links, contacts, and financial support options) into one shareable format accessible via link, QR code, or mobile wallet pass.
• Connectory A global searchable directory of artists and curators enabling members to find collaborators and be discovered through filters for location, themes, medium, and experience, without algorithms or attention-ranking.
• Support My Practice A micro-patronage feature powered by Stripe Connect that lets audiences financially support artists and curators directly through their Card, with 100% of contributions going to the creator (only standard Stripe processing fees apply, no FOLLOW.ART commission).
• Community Board A community forum where members post and browse open calls, collaboration opportunities, exhibitions, events, and professional updates through threaded discussions.
• FOLLOW.ART Gift Card A one-year PRO Card subscription available as a gift card (physical and digital), giving the recipient 12 months of PRO access with full portfolio, Connectory, Community Board, Support My Practice, and analytics features.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform connects more than 3,000 users across 100+ countries

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• VAA (Visual Artists Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the VAA OpenSpaces global art trail where artists take over everyday venues. Joint webinar sessions for Grad Support Program 2026 covering PR tips, career development, and audience support.
• All About CuratingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for professional development webinars and content for artists and curators. Collaborative sessions on clear practice presentation and building professional connections.
• CCICommscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPR partnership for Grad Support Program 2026 webinars. Collaboration on professional visibility and audience support content.
• Latvian National Pavilion (Venice Biennale)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured eleven FOLLOW.ART members in the official Venice Biennale catalogue, providing significant visibility for platform members at a premier international art event.
• Volta Art FairscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Volta art fairs for visibility and member opportunities within the international art fair circuit.
• ZuzeumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt center partnership providing collaborative opportunities for FOLLOW.ART members.
• Art Fairs ServiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for art fair visibility and member engagement with the art fair ecosystem.
• Art Academy of Latvia (LMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership supporting professional development for art students and emerging artists.
• Young Painter PrizeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with international painting award providing visibility and opportunities for FOLLOW.ART artist members.
• Artists RunwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing platform visibility within the Artists Runway initiative.
• Museum of PacificminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institution partnership for museum collaboration and member opportunities.
• Worlding ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary art project partnership for artistic collaboration and visibility.
• Vide InfracoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital product development partner credited for building the FOLLOW.ART platform. Described as an 'Award-winning digital product design agency'.
• World Art NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress coverage in World Art News including feature on the Nexus Card launch.
• ArtdailyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress coverage in Artdaily including announcement of the Nexus Card.
• Art PluggedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress coverage including feature on the Nexus Card for artists and curators.
• COLD MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress coverage including feature on FOLLOW.ART as a professional network.
• 1883 MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress coverage featuring FOLLOW.ART and professional networking for curators.
• Next Gen MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress coverage in Next Gen Magazine including feature on FOLLOW.ART and digital art.
• Kunst NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman art publication coverage of FOLLOW.ART platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ko-fi: Creator-monetization platform offering tip jars, memberships, and shop tools with no platform fees on donations. Most direct competitor to Follow.ART's Support My Practice zero-commission proposition.
• Patreon: Subscription-based patronage platform widely used by artists and creators. Competes directly with Follow.ART's Support My Practice feature, though Patreon takes a 5–12% commission whereas Follow.ART takes none.
• Artsy: Online marketplace and discovery platform for artists, galleries, and collectors. Competes with FOLLOW.ART for the same artist/curator audience by combining portfolio presentation, discovery, and primary/secondary market access at global scale.
• Cargo Collective: Subscription-based portfolio platform popular with artists, designers, and curators. Closely comparable in offering a clean, customizable online portfolio as an alternative to fragmented personal websites.
• Artlogic: Professional CMS, CRM, and website platform built specifically for galleries, artists, and arts organizations. Targets the same professional art-world infrastructure layer that Follow.ART serves, with deeper enterprise functionality.

Broad incumbents

• About.me: Personal landing page service used by creatives to consolidate identity and links. Functionally overlaps the most basic tier of Follow.ART's Card offering, though much less domain-specific.
• Linktree: Dominant 'link in bio' aggregator used heavily by creators including artists and curators. Competes with Follow.ART Card for the centralization-of-links use case, at scale and largely free.
• Behance (Adobe): Adobe-owned portfolio and discovery platform for creative professionals including artists. A free incumbent that absorbs much of the demand Follow.ART targets, especially among visual artists.
• LinkedIn: Professional identity and networking platform increasingly used by artists and curators for self-presentation. Free, ubiquitous, and a structural ceiling on paid portfolio/identity plays like Follow.ART.

Emerging players

• ArtStation (by Epic Games): Portfolio, marketplace, and jobs platform primarily for digital and entertainment artists. Comparable in serving artist portfolios and community but skews toward commercial/digital creators rather than fine art and curators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/followart.world
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/followart-world

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 FOLLOW.ART