Business Plan
Revenue model, go-to-market strategy, and 3-year financial projections for Scenery's seed round.
Executive Summary
Scenery is seeking €2.5M in seed funding to build the first visual culture search engine for cinema. Not a storefront. Not a database. A platform that answers the question no search engine can today: what is inside this film, and where do I find it in the real world? Films become explorable cultural territories. Discovery happens first. Commerce follows naturally.
Phase 1 is deliberately focused on two revenue streams — Shop Scene Placement and Streaming Referral via CineCore — sufficient to validate that commercial intent exists after cultural discovery. IP licensing, music affiliate, brand analytics, and the Scene Graph API are modelled and activated progressively as the graph and audience reach the scale they require. The graph is the moat.
Revenue Model
2.1 Phase 1 Revenue Streams — Validate Commercial Intent
Two streams are sufficient to prove the thesis. Simplicity here is not a weakness — it's a signal of discipline. Both streams are directly linked to user behaviour and self-evidently validate the platform's core value proposition.
| Stream | Description | Pricing | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop Scene Placement | Retailers pay to place products at exact film timestamps. A placement that doesn't convert gets moved. Self-correcting by design. | CPC €0.05–0.20 + 3–5% rev share |
Phase 1 — Active |
| Streaming Referral (CineCore) | Every film page links to where it can be rented or purchased, territory-aware. Validates that discovery drives watch intent. | 5–8% per rental or purchase |
Phase 1 — Active |
2.2 Phase 2+ Growth Streams — Activated Progressively
Each stream below is documented, modelled, and ready to activate. None are included in Phase 1 revenue projections to keep the financial model conservative and the pitch focused. They represent significant upside for Series A and beyond.
| Stream | Description | Pricing | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP Licensing Fee | 8–12% on merchandise sales routed via CineCore. Requires filmmaker licensing agreements at scale. | Variable per transaction |
Phase 2 |
| Music Affiliate | Commission on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music referral clicks from scene music tags. | €0.001–0.01 per action |
Phase 2 |
| Brand Analytics Dashboard | Brands pay to see how their products perform culturally — conversion rates, scene context, audience behaviour. Direct data monetisation. | €499–€1,999/month |
Phase 2 |
| Hospitality Affiliate | Commission on hotel, restaurant & apartment bookings driven by location CTAs in scenes. | 5–10% per booking |
Phase 3 |
| Movie Tour Commission | Tour operators list location experiences built on the graph. Commission per booking. | 10–15% per booking |
Phase 3 |
| Streaming Platform API | Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Canal+, MUBI and other platforms licence the Scene Graph to power native "explore this scene" features inside their own interfaces. Scenery becomes the scene intelligence infrastructure layer — like Stripe for payments, but for cinematic context. Annual licence + per-query pricing. | €100K–€1M+/yr per platform |
Phase 3 |
| Data & Research API | Structured access to the Scene Graph for studios (audience insight, merch forecasting), brands (cultural placement research), and academic/market research institutions. | €50K–€500K/yr institutional |
Phase 3 |
2.3 The Self-Funding Curation Model
The key commercial insight is that the Scene Graph curation cost is funded by commercial incentives. Shops that want to sell the Drive jacket are highly motivated to correctly tag it at the right timestamp. Their revenue depends on it. This means Scenery's primary data asset — the Scene Graph — is enriched at zero marginal cost to the platform as the retailer network grows.
Scenery owns and controls the graph. Shops and brands enrich it, but they do not own it — exactly as businesses can appear on Google Maps without owning the map. This structural distinction is what makes the data asset defensible and licensable.
2.4 The Streaming Platform API — Infrastructure Play
In Phase 3, Scenery transitions from a consumer product to also being B2B infrastructure. The strategic logic: Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ cannot build a neutral cross-platform Scene Graph themselves. Their catalogues are siloed. A scene graph built inside Netflix is worthless for Drive (which streams on Prime) or In Bruges (which is on MUBI). The value of the graph is precisely its cross-platform, cross-studio nature — and that can only exist at a neutral independent layer.
The API proposition: streaming platforms embed a "Explore this scene" or "What's in this film" button in their interface, powered by Scenery's graph. The user never leaves the platform. The platform enhances their product without building infrastructure. Scenery earns a combination of annual platform licence fee and per-query API pricing.
| Platform tier | Example | Estimated annual licence | Strategic value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Global streamers | Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ | €500K–€1M+/yr | Massive reach, validates graph credibility globally |
| Tier 2 — Regional streamers | Canal+, Viaplay, RTL+, MUBI | €100K–€300K/yr | EU market penetration, easier first-mover partnerships |
| Tier 3 — Smart TV & device | Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels | €50K–€150K/yr | Hardware-layer distribution, ambient discovery use case |
Regional streamers (Tier 2) are the natural first-mover targets — they have both the commercial incentive and the organisational agility to move quickly on a partnership. Tier 1 follows once the graph density and reliability is demonstrable at scale.
Go-to-Market Strategy
3.1 Phase 1 — Indie Catalogue Months 1–12
- Launch with a curated catalogue of 200 indie films from Belgium, Netherlands, and France
- Self-curate Scene Graph for top 50 films using AI pipeline + editorial team
- Onboard 30 indie filmmakers as platform ambassadors via festival relationships
- Launch filmmaker self-onboarding portal — filmmakers tag their own films
- Open shop registration for fashion, design, and lifestyle retailers with film connections
- Index filming locations with GPS links and contextual booking CTAs; publish recipe pages for dishes in scenes
- PR strategy: film blog coverage, filmmaker interviews, "what's in this scene" editorial content
3.2 Phase 2 — Commerce & Community Months 12–24
- Launch paid shop placement at timestamps — open the scene real estate market
- Activate IP licensing fee routing via CineCore for all product placements
- Launch official merch store per film — full IP-licensed catalogue beyond scene-specific products
- Launch social layer: user profiles, following, activity feed, reviews, ratings
- Onboard first tour operators — launch Movie Tours marketplace with hospitality booking affiliate
- Mobile app launch (iOS/Android) with offline scene exploration
- Expand catalogue to 1,500 films; launch editorial "Film Obsession" features
- Expand to French and Dutch language film communities
3.3 Phase 3 — Scale & Platform API Months 24–36
- Pan-European catalogue: 10,000+ films across all major European markets
- Scale Movie Tours marketplace — tour operator onboarding programme across major European filming cities
- Launch brand analytics dashboard — brands pay to see how their products perform culturally in the graph
- Launch Scene Graph API (B2B): streaming platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, MUBI, MUBI, Canal+) can licence the graph to power "explore this scene" features natively within their interfaces — Scenery becomes the scene intelligence infrastructure layer, not a competing product
- Developer API for third-party apps, film publications, and cultural tools to build on the graph
- Cinema Trailer QR partnerships: QR codes displayed in multiplex cinemas immediately after trailers link directly to the film's Scene Graph — capturing commercial intent at the exact moment of highest engagement. Viewers access merchandise pre-orders, location booking, and soundtrack links before leaving their seat. Integrated with major exhibition chains (Kinepolis, Pathé, Vue) as a co-branded channel: studios pay for placement, cinemas benefit from an enriched experience, Scenery captures a high-intent audience that has just seen the content and is primed to engage with it.
- Close Series A (€5M–€8M) to fund international market entry, catalogue expansion, and API infrastructure
3.4 Phase 4 — US + UK Market Entry Months 36–48 · Series A
- Launch in English-language markets: United States and United Kingdom
- Ingest Hollywood back catalogue — 50,000+ films into the Scene Graph
- Partner with US indie film distributors (A24, NEON, IFC) as beachhead content partners
- Open US retailer and brand onboarding — the US licensed merch market is the world's largest
- Localise real estate and hospitality stream for US market (Airbnb, Vrbo, US hotel affiliates)
- Target €14M ARR by end of Year 4 (EU €6.5M + US/UK €7.5M)
3.5 Phase 5 — Korea + Japan Months 48–60 · Series B
- South Korea: Korean Wave (Hallyu) has created a globally distributed fanbase that actively purchases scene-specific products and music — the highest natural fit for Scenery's commerce model
- Index K-drama and K-film catalogue; partner with Korean OTT platforms (Wavve, Tving) and streaming affiliates
- Japan: One of the world's highest per-capita merchandise spend cultures; film location tourism already an established domestic market
- Localise for Japanese and Korean languages; adapt Shop Subscription pricing for each market
- Target €32M ARR by end of Year 5 (EU €9M + US/UK €14M + Korea/Japan €9M)
3.6 Phase 6 — India + Southeast Asia 2031+ · Series C
- India: World's largest film production volume (1,800+ films/year); film music is culturally central — every major film produces chart hits, making the music affiliate stream exceptionally strong
- Partner with Indian OTT platforms (Hotstar, Amazon Prime India, Netflix India) for streaming referral
- Tap the global Indian diaspora as an early-adopter community for Bollywood scene commerce
- Expand to Southeast Asian markets (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam) where local film industries are growing
- Target €65M ARR by end of Year 6 across all active markets
Financial Projections
4.1 Revenue Projections
| Metric | Year 1 (2026) | Year 2 (2027) | Year 3 (2028) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Films in catalogue | 200 | 1,500 | 10,000 |
| Registered shops | 50 | 400 | 2,000 |
| Monthly active users | 15,000 | 120,000 | 650,000 |
| Shop Placement Revenue | €12,000 | €195,000 | €1,340,000 |
| IP Licensing Revenue | €8,000 | €130,000 | €1,040,000 |
| Streaming Referral | €15,000 | €130,000 | €770,000 |
| Music Affiliate | €5,000 | €50,000 | €360,000 |
| Shop Subscriptions | €6,000 | €75,000 | €270,000 |
| Hospitality Booking Affiliate | — | €18,000 | €60,000 |
| Movie Tour Commission | — | €14,000 | €40,000 |
| Real Estate & Location Hire | — | €13,000 | €80,000 |
| TOTAL REVENUE | €46,000 | €625,000 | €3,960,000 |
4.2 International Expansion Projections (Post Series A)
Years 4–6 projections reflect Series A-funded international market entry. Revenue is shown by region. EU figures represent continued organic growth on the established base.
| Region | Year 4 — 2029 | Year 5 — 2030 | Year 6 — 2031 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇺 Europe (existing) | €6,500,000 | €9,000,000 | €12,000,000 |
| 🇺🇸🇬🇧 US + UK Phase 4 | €7,500,000 | €14,000,000 | €20,000,000 |
| 🇰🇷🇯🇵 Korea + Japan Phase 5 | — | €9,000,000 | €15,000,000 |
| 🇮🇳 India + SE Asia Phase 6 | — | — | €18,000,000 |
| TOTAL ARR | €14,000,000 | €32,000,000 | €65,000,000 |
The Scene Graph is a universal data architecture. Entering a new market is primarily a catalogue ingestion and localisation exercise — the product, commerce layer, and revenue model require no structural changes. Each new market multiplies the value of the existing graph.
4.3 Cost Structure
| Category | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering (2 FTE → 7 FTE) | €180,000 | €480,000 | €840,000 |
| AI Pipeline & Infrastructure | €24,000 | €72,000 | €180,000 |
| Content / Editorial | €20,000 | €60,000 | €100,000 |
| Marketing & Community | €25,000 | €100,000 | €250,000 |
| Legal & Compliance | €20,000 | €35,000 | €50,000 |
| G&A | €12,000 | €35,000 | €70,000 |
| TOTAL COSTS | €281,000 | €782,000 | €1,490,000 |
| NET PROFIT / (LOSS) | (€235,000) | (€157,000) | €2,470,000 |
4.4 Funding Use of €2.5M Seed
| Category | Amount | % | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Engineering | €1,100,000 | 44% | 5 engineers + 1 designer, 24-month runway |
| AI Pipeline & Data | €300,000 | 12% | Gemini 2.5 Flash, ACRCloud, ElevenLabs, Neo4j, infra |
| Content & Editorial | €250,000 | 10% | Scene Graph seed curation, 200+ films |
| Marketing & Community | €400,000 | 16% | Festival presence, filmmaker outreach, paid growth |
| Legal & IP | €150,000 | 6% | GDPR, retailer agreements, CineCore contract, IP |
| Working Capital | €300,000 | 12% | 6-month operational buffer on expanded team |
Risks & Mitigation
The following risks were identified through red-team analysis. Each has a documented mitigation strategy built into the platform architecture, GTM phasing, or legal structure.
| Risk | Category | Assessment | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH AI Tagging Precision | Technical | Niche product identification (vintage garments, prop variants) may have high error rates at launch | AI is a pre-tagging layer only. The self-funding curation model means retailers tag their own products because their revenue depends on accuracy — human correction is commercially incentivised at zero cost to the platform. Error rate decreases as retailer density grows. |
| MED Graph Query Latency | Technical | Timeline scrubbing with real-time metadata requires sub-100ms graph queries at scale | Neo4j is purpose-built for this query pattern. Redis caching layer pre-warms hot film nodes. Scene-level metadata is serialised to JSON at indexing time and served statically — the live graph query only fires on element interaction, not on timeline scrub. |
| MED API Integration Fragmentation | Technical | Maintaining 8+ live integrations across streaming, retail, booking, and real estate APIs creates long-term technical debt | Phase 1 requires only 5 integrations (Gemini 2.5 Flash, ACRCloud, ElevenLabs Scribe v2, one affiliate network, CineCore). A dedicated integration reliability engineer is budgeted from Month 6. All partner APIs are wrapped in an abstraction layer with circuit breakers and fallback graceful degradation. |
| HIGH Derivative Work / IP Liability | Legal | Studios may challenge the Scene Graph as an unauthorised derivative work of their films | Scenery does not host footage — it indexes metadata (timestamps, element descriptions, commercial links). This is legally equivalent to IMDb's plot summaries, cast lists, and trivia databases, which have operated without challenge for 30+ years. The indie-first strategy is a deliberate legal hedge: indie filmmakers control their own rights and contractually grant Scene Graph indexing in exchange for revenue share. Phase 4 (US/Hollywood) budgets for studio licensing negotiations backed by demonstrated traffic and affiliate data. |
| MED Multi-Party Permission Problem | Legal | A single shoppable scene may require clearance from studio, music label, and brand simultaneously | Phase 1–3 (indie films) largely avoids this: indie filmmakers often hold consolidated rights and are incentivised to grant permissions. Commerce layers (product placement, music affiliate) are additive and opt-in — a scene without brand clearance simply shows no product CTA. Incompleteness is a UX state, not a liability. The platform's leverage with studios and labels grows proportionally with traffic data. |
| LOW Real Estate Liability | Legal | Location hire and apartment sales move into regulated real estate territory | Scenery operates as a referral and affiliate platform, not a property manager or landlord. Short-term rental CTAs link to licensed operators (Airbnb, Booking.com). Sale referrals pass a referral ID to licensed estate agents. Filming location hire is facilitated through approved location agencies. Scenery assumes no contractual liability for the underlying transaction. |
| HIGH Context vs. Commerce Tension | Product | If commerce dominates the UX, the platform feels like a storefront and loses the cultural discovery value that drives organic growth | This is the most critical product risk. The platform enforces a "Discovery leads, Commerce follows" principle at the design level: film pages open in discovery mode with no commerce visible until a user interacts with a scene element. Commerce CTAs are contextual (appear at the relevant timestamp) and never ambient. The KPI hierarchy puts MAU and session depth above revenue per session. See Product Principles in PM Analysis. |
| MED Affiliate Rate Compression | Commercial | Streaming platforms or music services may reduce affiliate payouts, compressing revenue projections | Eight revenue streams provide structural diversification. No single stream exceeds 35% of projected Year 3 revenue. Music affiliate (most exposed to rate change) represents ~9%. If Spotify reduces payouts, Apple Music and Deezer affiliates provide alternatives. The IP Licensing and Shop Placement streams are platform-controlled rates, not third-party dependent. |
| MED In-House Competition from Streaming Giants | Commercial | Netflix, Apple TV+, or Amazon could build shoppable film features natively | A single platform can only make its own catalogue shoppable. Scenery's value is its cross-platform, cross-studio, cross-distributor graph — no streaming service can legally index a competitor's catalogue. The Scene Graph's moat deepens with every film added, and the data asset becomes more valuable to studios and brands over time as a licensing product in its own right. |
A future revenue stream not included in current projections: Scene Graph Data Licensing. As the graph scales to 10,000+ films, studios, streaming platforms, brands, and market research firms will pay for structured access to the dataset. This is the highest-margin, most defensible long-term asset Scenery owns — and it requires no additional product development.
Key Milestones
| Timeline | Milestone |
|---|---|
M+2 | Scene Graph data model complete; Neo4j schema deployed; AI pipeline operational |
M+4 | Platform beta: 50 films indexed, film pages, timeline UI, product/music panels live |
M+6 | Shop onboarding open; first 20 retailers placing products at timestamps |
M+8 | CineCore IP licensing integration live; first IP licensing fees processed |
M+12 | 200 films, 50 shops, 15,000 MAU, €46K ARR |
M+18 | Mobile app launched; 400 films, 200 shops, 60,000 MAU |
M+24 | 1,500 films, 400 shops, 120,000 MAU, €625K ARR |
M+36 | 10,000 films, 2,000 shops, 650,000 MAU, €4M ARR, Series A |