Graze Raises $1M to Expand Custom Tools on Bluesky

Graze, a startup enabling users to create and monetize personalized feeds on the decentralized social platform Bluesky, has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding. The investment round was led by Betaworks and Salesforce Ventures, with participation from other early-stage backers including Factorial, Apertu Capital, and angel investors from Mozilla and Protocol Labs.

Designed to simplify the creation of custom algorithmic feeds, Graze offers a web-based toolset for users to tailor feeds using templates, filters, and moderation controls. While Bluesky itself allows feed customization, Graze targets a broader user base by eliminating the need for technical expertise.

Currently, Graze powers around 4,500 feeds created by 3,000 users. These span a variety of topics including news, books, gaming, politics, and fitness. It also supports feeds on external AT Protocol-based platforms like Skylight, Spark, and Flashes.

Now, Graze is rolling out an advertising feature, giving feed operators the option to monetize. Unlike conventional ad models, Graze emphasizes transparency and control. Advertisers choose feeds based on topic relevance rather than relying on user data, and feed operators decide which ads to show and at what frequency. Users, in turn, can opt out of ads by blocking sponsored hashtags, creating a more opt-in experience.

Co-founder and CTO Devin Gaffney argues that this approach provides advertisers more agency and fosters a better relationship with audiences. “They don’t have any real relationship with the audience,” he said of traditional ad platforms. “And the decision as to how [the ad] gets shown to people is systematically against their favor.” Currently, around 200 Graze-powered feeds are testing ads, priced at roughly $1 per 1,000 impressions. The company takes a 30% commission to cover infrastructure and support.