Deepstory rolls out intent based short video platform

Deepstory has introduced an intent-based short-video platform designed around topic-driven discovery and a more structured viewing flow. The company positions this format as an alternative to the high-velocity, mixed-mood consumption seen on mainstream short-video apps.

The company was formally registered in 2022, with a small founding team testing a subject-led model for short-form video. Deepstory rolled out its beta version in November 2024, initially attracting early adopters until retention slipped in April 2025. The first iteration of its left-swipe recommendation system struggled to surface relevant follow-up clips, prompting a full rebuild using vector intelligence and external trend inputs. The shift temporarily reduced usage but improved recommendation accuracy, which the company says is now stable enough for broader scale.

Raj Aryan Das, founder and CEO says the platform was created to solve a fundamental problem in today’s short-video consumption. “Short-video apps today throw people from comedy to politics to heartbreak in seconds — it creates emotional whiplash. Deepstory fixes that. A left swipe shows you different creators talking about the same topic from different angles, so you can stay with what interests you instead of being dragged around by randomness. We built Deepstory to make scrolling calmer, intentional, and built for understanding.”

For creators, the platform uses a topic-matching system that gives emerging voices visibility when their content aligns with the subject a viewer is exploring. Each left swipe is treated as an intent signal, opening a slot that any relevant creator can appear in. Deepstory is also developing a monetisation model with lower fees, direct brand partnerships and a Motion Image format that blends movement into still visuals.

On the advertising front, the company is adopting a pull-based structure. Each left swipe acts as a contextual cue, enabling brands to appear in sequences where the user’s attention is already oriented towards a specific topic. The approach aligns with broader industry movement towards contextual placements, which tend to show stronger engagement compared with non-contextual ads.

Co-founder and MD Satyabrata Das brings four decades of industry experience to this venture. Widely regarded as one of the most connected voices in Indian media, he has led promotions at ETV, shaped ZEE5 and Zee Digital, served as India COO at Mediakeys France, and is currently serving as chief alliance officer at Laqshya Media Group. “I believe the timing is perfect. People do not dislike short videos. They dislike the chaos around them. Deepstory brings structure and a sense of mental space. It also gives creators a true level playing field because relevance decides who appears next. For brands, it becomes easier to tell stories when the user’s mind is already on the topic,” said Das.

Deepstory notes that several global platforms are now experimenting with linked or chain-style posts that allow creators to attach follow-up content manually. The company emphasises that sideways-storytelling has been part of its structure since its early research years, with the distinction that its left-swipe does not anchor viewers to one creator’s sequence. Instead, it opens the topic to contributions from any matching creator.

The system is powered by a vector-intelligence engine that maps videos across a topic space using metadata, sound cues, narrative markers and visual objects. A left swipe triggers a search for high-fit videos while removing duplicates and unrelated clips; an upward swipe shifts to adjacent themes. The company says this serves as the foundation for future UX layers and tools.

Initial usage patterns show that 19.7 percent of homescreen actions are left swipes, indicating sustained topic-first exploration. The platform reports a 17.8 percent view-through rate, which it interprets as deliberate rather than incidental viewing. Music edits, film edits, informational videos, motivational clips and Formula One content are among the strongest-performing categories.