Graze, a startup enabling users to build and monetize custom feeds on Bluesky’s social network, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Betaworks and Salesforce Ventures. Supporting the company’s mission to give users greater control over their social media experiences and algorithms.
Available on the web, Graze’s software offers a simplified interface for designing, customizing, publishing, and managing feeds on Bluesky. While platforms like X and Meta’s Threads default users into a single algorithmic feed. Bluesky—now nearing 35 million users—allows the creation of personalized feeds. Users can follow multiple feeds, pin them, and set any as their default home view.
Still, building these feeds has typically required technical know-how. Graze addresses this challenge with tools and templates for moderation, logic filters, sorting, and social graph management, making feed creation accessible to nondevelopers.
Currently, Graze supports 4,500 feeds created by about 3,000 users. These include some of Bluesky’s most-followed feeds like News, Booksky, and many themed around art, politics, gaming, fitness, and more. Graze also powers third-party apps like Sill and feeds beyond the Bluesky ecosystem.
The startup is now expanding beyond creation tools by enabling feed monetization through advertising. Unlike traditional ad platforms that rely on personal data for targeting, Graze gives advertisers the ability to place ads based on feed topics. Feed creators maintain editorial control over which ads appear, their frequency, and pricing.
This model, according to Graze CTO Devin Gaffney, provides advertisers more transparency and direct connection with audiences, compared to platforms like Facebook or X where ad placement is largely opaque.
Unlike most social platforms, Graze users can also block ads by filtering out sponsored hashtags. This opt-out feature, coupled with editorial oversight by feed creators, helps avoid over-commercialization and maintains user trust.
At present, 200 Graze-powered feeds run ads, typically priced at $1 per 1,000 impressions. Graze retains a 30% cut, covering hosting, payment processing, and feed management tools—including for non-monetized feeds.
Looking ahead, the company plans to explore revenue sharing with Bluesky and apps using the AT Protocol (ATProto), such as Skylight, Spark, and Flashes. Graze CEO Peat Bakke emphasized the importance of developing an ethical revenue-sharing model that benefits creators, platforms, and app developers alike.
The $1 million funding will help Graze refine its product-market fit. In addition to Betaworks and Salesforce Ventures, other investors include Factorial, Apertu Capital, Skyseed, and angels from Mozilla and Protocol Labs.
“We’re not fixated on revenue right now—we already have some,” said Bakke. “Our focus is on discovery, improving the user experience, and building strong community relationships.”
Graze’s core team includes Portland-based Gaffney and Bakke, alongside Andrew Lisowski in San Jose, who built the front end. A few part-time team members also support with coding, communications, documentation, and community management.
