DUIU raises funding to challenge TikTok-style feeds with participation-first social platform

STOCKHOLM, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish startup DUIU has raised new funding to launch a social video platform designed to replace passive scrolling with participation-driven content systems.

While platforms like TikTok and Instagram have optimised for consumption at scale, DUIU is built on a different premise: that visibility should be earned through interaction, not dictated by opaque algorithms. The shift comes as regulators and brands increasingly question how algorithmic feeds shape attention and distribution.

At the core of the platform is a new format for short-form video. Users respond to videos in structured threads, where contributions compete for visibility based on community voting. Instead of publishing standalone content into a feed, each video becomes part of a shared, evolving context — where people build on each other's ideas and determine outcomes together.

"The way a platform is monetised directly shapes how it behaves," said Pontus Hörnby Liljeblad, CEO and co-founder of DUIU. "DUIU is built to unlock participation at scale, where value is created through what people do — not just what they watch."

For brands, this introduces a fundamentally different model of marketing. Instead of paying for impressions, brands launch prize-backed participatory campaigns — turning audiences into contributors who respond, vote, and generate both content and distribution. As campaigns grow, participation drives reach, and reach drives further participation.

"Creators have what every marketer wants: an audience that listens. The brands winning today are the ones smart enough to partner, not interrupt," said Greg Paull, a pioneer in global independent marketing consulting.

DUIU will launch in Brazil, one of the world's most active social video markets. The rollout is led by João Villa Savatin, an early member of TikTok's Brazil expansion team. Ahead of launch, the company has onboarded creators with a combined reach of more than 45 million followers, who are now activating early communities. DUIU will use Brazil to validate its participation model before expanding globally.

For further information, please contact:
Pontus Hörnby Liljeblad, CEO & Founder
+46707137656
[email protected]
duiu.app

About DUIU
DUIU is a social video platform where users compete with video replies in ranked threads and the community votes to determine who rises to the top. Founded by Pontus Hörnby Liljeblad and Carl Grevelius, DUIU is developed through Stockholm-based Mono Digital in collaboration with Alster Digital, and backed by Alster Ventures and Greg Paull as first international strategic investor.

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SOURCE DUIU