The Startup That Kills the Subscription Model Will Be Worth Billions

01 /The Concept

Tiun claims to offer streaming services, online publications, and digital content platforms a way to reach the next generation of users – on the users' terms.

The model works in two interlocking ways. On the access side, users don't register separately on every service – they download the Tiun app once, and it becomes a universal login for any site that supports it. On the payments side, there are no recurring subscriptions with automatic charges; users pay only for what they actually consume, settled instantly through their connected payment method.

That said, frequent users of a particular service can still benefit from subscription pricing. Tiun handles this automatically: if a user spends more in a given month on a site than that site's subscription would have cost, the rest of the month is free on that platform.

Tiun is based in Switzerland, launched its platform 18 months ago, and has already onboarded over 50 local content providers. It has now raised its first €2.5M in funding.

02 /Why It Matters

Tiun's target audience is what it calls "modern consumers" – today's younger users.

In its pitch materials, the startup argues that younger generations are reluctant to register on dozens of platforms, leave their card details everywhere, and especially to commit to recurring monthly charges. The preference is for variety and flexibility over loyalty.

The business consequence: subscription-based content platforms struggle to convert younger visitors. Only 1% of visitors become paying subscribers; 99% leave without paying. And of those who do subscribe, 70% cancel within 3–6 months.

Tiun argues its model drives more traffic to content sites, converts a higher share of that traffic into paying transactions, and retains users longer.

The addressable client base includes online publications, streaming video platforms, music services (including those running live-stream concerts), and even virtual conference organizers.

From business clients, Tiun takes a commission on every transaction processed through the platform.

But that's not all. Since Tiun promises to improve traffic, conversion, and retention, clients are required to subscribe to at least one of three additional services – for lead generation, visitor conversion, or user retention. Ideally all three.

Optional add-ons are also available. Currently that catalog contains one service: a storefront builder for selling e-books and articles.

The lead generation service: an advertising platform that promotes Tiun business clients across content marketplaces and payment partner sites.

The conversion service: an authentication and billing platform that business clients embed into their own site or app.

The retention service: a platform that enables personalized WhatsApp messaging campaigns to Tiun users.

03 /Opportunities

Subscription is a popular model – but a problematic one. On paper, it builds user loyalty. In practice, you can't build loyalty that isn't there. Internet users are promiscuous by nature – there's simply too much competing for their attention.

The model works reasonably well for category leaders. For everyone else, it mostly functions as a mechanism for collecting 3–6 months of revenue before users churn – and once they're gone, they rarely return, because the option to make a one-time purchase usually doesn't exist.

Right now, there are no clear category leaders in almost any content market. Even highly popular services can see monthly subscriber swings of plus or minus 25% depending on seasonal discounts or whether a competitor just dropped something people can't ignore.

This isn't a new problem, and it has attracted previous attempts at a solution.

In 2021, [a review covered](/review/obratnaja-storona-podpisnoj-modeli) Struum – a platform that aggregated several dozen smaller video services, allowing users to purchase individual titles and pay Struum directly. One of its co-founders was former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Struum raised $7M but quietly shut down last year.

NICKLpass ([related review](/review/zachem-sozdavat-esli-mozhno-prodavat)) built an app that lets users read from multiple paid publications under a single subscription, with NICKLpass handling the revenue distribution to publishers. It operates purely B2B, offering the product only to companies with large enough user bases. NICKLpass has raised $7M.

Tiun represents another approach to the same underlying problem. What gives it a credible shot is that it combines pay-per-piece pricing with active re-engagement tools – advertising and direct messaging – designed to bring one-time buyers back. Without that second component, a pure à la carte model doesn't solve much: users pay once, then disappear just as they do when they cancel a subscription.

The right model isn't just swapping mandatory recurring charges for optional one-time payments. It's replacing mandatory short-term payments with more-or-less regular voluntary payments over a much longer horizon – where the total voluntary spend could plausibly exceed what the average subscriber would have paid under a subscription before churning.

The opportunity: build platforms that sell digital content on a "voluntary recurring" model, combining flexible pay-per-piece purchasing with effective mechanisms for re-engaging past buyers. The re-engagement layer – advertising, direct messaging, personalized recommendations – is what separates a working platform from a collection box that users visit once. Tiun's bet is that an active retention stack, not just frictionless payment, is what converts occasional buyers into something resembling subscribers.