# pub

> Pub was an Austin video licensing technology startup founded in 2017. It developed a license button and configurable licensing tools for video owners and media buyers. Founder Jon Ward later reported raising about $200,000, gaining customers but limited traction, and shutting the company down after an accelerator declined to invest.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** Austin, United States
- **Founders:** Jon Ward (Founder; listed as CEO by The Org)
- **Products:** Video licensing platform, License button and per-video links, Configurable video licenses, Clip licensing
- **Notable:** Launched a license button and expanded licensing features in January 2019., Reported customer adoption, without a public count, in the founder’s retrospective.

## Products & services

- **Video licensing platform** — Historical software for video owners and media buyers to arrange licenses.
- **License button and per-video links** — Announced January 22, 2019; licensing entry points alongside existing video distribution, including YouTube and JW Player integrations.
- **Configurable video licenses** — The January 2019 announcement described more than 15,000 license permutations per video and owner approval of licensees.
- **Clip licensing** — Owners could set per-second pricing and buyers could select portions of videos.

## Achievements

- Launched a license button and expanded licensing features in January 2019.
- Reported customer adoption, without a public count, in the founder’s retrospective.

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — Jon Ward publicly reflected on Pub’s closure, approximately $200,000 raised, limited traction and three unsuccessful accelerator pitches. This is the retrospective publication date, not the shutdown date.

## Links

- Website: http://www.pubmedia.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pub-media

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/pub
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21