Video app Portal's ad-free approach aims to reset how you watch clips
Creators can make money through their audience's donations and subscriptions.
Portal, an ad-free social video app, opened to the public on Tuesday.
The startup also closed a $4.2 million round of funding from investors such as Mark Cuban, Day One Ventures and Social Start, according to The Wrap.
Portal, which launched in beta in June, was reportedly inspired in part by CEO Johnathan Swerdlin's belief that advertising is "the biggest scam on the internet."
On Portal, users can reportedly subscribe to a creator's profile, and the creator receives monetary compensation, such as 99 cents a month, $4.99 a month or $24.99 a month, via in-app payments. Creators can also add paywalls, and users can tip creators.
Google-owned YouTube has also been testing ways for creators to monetize on the video platform besides ads, such as fan sponsorships. With 400 hours of content uploaded every minute, YouTube has struggled to please both its advertisers and its creators as it cracks down on objectionable content that's making money from advertising.
Portal didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.