Catch+Release Announces Investment from Canadian Tire Corporation’s Roller Labs Ventures

Catch+Release, the leading content licensing marketplace, today announces a new investment from Roller Labs Ventures, the corporate venture capital fund of Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (“CTC”). This new injection of funds will drive the evolution of how authentic visual content is accessed, licensed, and delivered in promotional campaigns for CTC retail banners and consumer brands, including Canadian Tire, Party City, SportChek, Mark’s, and Helly Hansen. This capability translates to genuine narratives that forge deeper connections with customers across many of CTC’s verticals: general merchandise, sporting goods, apparel and footwear, automotive, financial services, and more.

Catch+Release is revolutionising visual content creation and delivery using an innovative tech platform, ultimately transforming how businesses engage audiences through authentic storytelling. For Roller Labs Ventures, Catch+Release's unique capabilities and shared vision represent a commitment to reshaping how content is sourced and delivered, resulting in engaging campaigns that build brand and drive sales. Furthermore, this strategic partnership supports Roller Labs Ventures' mandate to help drive innovation at CTC.

The investment aligns to three key themes in the market today:

• Content Enrichment: There is strong demand for authentic visual content that resonates with diverse audiences. Catch+Release's marketplace fills this market gap, enabling businesses to craft more engaging and authentic narratives.
• Efficiency Gains: In pursuit of innovative ways to augment traditional commercial shoots, user-generated content is increasingly valuable. Catch+Release is revolutionising the content creation landscape, providing businesses with fast, efficient ways to enhance visual storytelling.
• Compliance in Licensing: In an era of advanced technologies like AI and LLMs, there is a strong focus by brands to ensure content is licensed properly. Catch+Release’s platform helps brands do this in a seamless manner.

"This investment from Roller Labs Ventures represents a strong signal that there is a growing need to deliver real visual content from real people across all types of storytelling media. In a world saturated with staged visuals, Catch+Release stands at the forefront of a movement toward genuine and compelling storytelling. This partnership not only validates our mission but propels us further in our quest to redefine how companies communicate with their audiences,” said Analisa Goodin, CEO and founder of Catch+Release.

“This investment presents us with a great opportunity to invest and partner with a leader in the user-generated content space. Catch+Release’s core capabilities will accelerate CTC’s ability to discover and license authentic content for its many retail banners and consumer brands,” said Rich Osborn, managing partner of Roller Labs Ventures. “RLV looks forward to working closely with the Catch+Release team to build a category-leading company in this exciting and dynamic market.”