Photography platform Klaud9 owes payments to freelancers

KLAUD9, a platform that connects freelance photographers and videographers with clients, owes payments to photographers across Asia and Australia, according to affected parties who spoke to The Business Times (BT).

The Singapore-registered platform has not paid invoices from some freelance photographers and videographers for completed projects since the third quarter of 2022. Amounts owed vary, with one claiming as much as A$4,500 (S$4,037).

A large enterprise client some freelancers did work for had already paid the platform, they said. But Klaud9 did not pay the freelancers.

The platform remains up, and some affected photographers reported receiving requests until the end of 2022.

A number of photographers have taken to leaving negative reviews on Klaud9’s Google listing.

One of them, Jeff Lambert, is a freelancer based in Sydney, Australia, who is owed A$4,500. At least one of his invoices is overdue by more than eight months.

Lambert had done jobs through Klaud9 before, and received prompt payment within his 30-day payment schedule. That made taking more jobs with Klaud9 seem safe.

But lately, the platform has dragged its feet and cited longer payment schedules of 90 days when dealing with large enterprises. According to Lambert, Klaud9 also said funds were not getting through in time.

Lambert said he had been in contact with Isabel Gonzalez, co-founder of Klaud9, who said the Covid-19 pandemic had hit the company hard.

Another freelancer in Singapore, who has been owed money since April 2022, described a similar experience.

Gonzalez initially proposed paying in instalments, but Klaud9 eventually stopped paying altogether.

Another freelancer based in Asia is owed US$1,200.

One freelancer – Japan-based Matthew Vahon – has managed to collect. The platform owed Vahon US$1,200 in December 2022, and made full payment on Jul 1, 2023.

After multiple back and forths with Gonzalez, Vahon initiated proceedings with Singapore’s Small Claims Tribunal.

On the eve of the court date, however, Kalud9 agreed to an e-mediation. They later settled on a payment schedule of S$200 a month.

Klaud9 declined to respond to questions sent by BT.

The platform was founded in 2016, with founders Gonzalez and Rajnish Suneja, as well as Busquests Campos Eduardo currently listed as shareholders, according to regulatory filings.

Klaud9 has raised a seed round from Accelerating Asia, as part of its accelerator Cohort 1 in 2019. The platform has also raised a convertible note from SOSV, a venture capital firm, according to data platform Crunchbase.