DAT Drives is a cloud storage and client delivery platform that helps photographers and videographers deliver work, protect files, and get paid before anything is released. Clients preview watermarked photos and low-resolution video through a single gallery link; once payment clears through Stripe, full-resolution files unlock automatically. No chasing invoices. No commission on what you earn.
We built it this way because we are creators too — and we were tired of stitching together tools that were never built for us.
Built by Creators, for Creators
DAT Drives was founded by three friends who have known each other since high school, now based across the United States and Portugal — bringing together backgrounds in engineering, software development, business, photography, cinematography, and design.
That mix isn't incidental. It's the whole reason DAT Drives exists. Between us, we've spent years building software and systems, and years behind a camera, delivering galleries and films to real clients — running into the same wall every time: the tools available to creators were built for generic file-sharing, not for creative delivery, client trust, or getting paid on time.
We didn't set out to build "another cloud storage app." We set out to fix a workflow we'd all lived through — building the systems on one side, waiting on an unpaid invoice with a client's wedding film sitting finished on a hard drive on the other.
Founders:
- Niko Kabalenov — Co-Founder & CEO (USA)
- Timur Rakhimov — Co-Founder & CFO (USA)
Why We Built DAT Drives
Every major file-delivery option available to photographers and videographers today was built for a different job:
- Generic file-sharing tools (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox) have no paywall, no client gallery experience, and no way to protect full-resolution work until it's paid for.
- Photo-gallery platforms were built for photos first — video is bolted on, compressed, or missing entirely, leaving videographers to piece together Vimeo links, WeTransfer, and Drive folders for files that can run 50–100GB.
- Marketplace and licensing platforms often take a commission on every sale, quietly eating into a creator's margin on every single job.
The result is a workflow most creators have simply learned to tolerate: deliver the work, send the invoice, follow up, follow up again, and hope it gets paid — all while the client already has what they came for.
DAT Drives removes the guesswork. Files stay locked behind a watermarked, low-resolution preview until the client pays. The moment payment clears, full-resolution photos and full-quality video release automatically. You never deliver before you're paid, and you never have to chase an invoice again.
What DAT Drives Does
Deliver. Protect. Get Paid.
- Deliver — Upload photos and video of any size into one gallery, organized by client, event, or date. One link, not five tools.
- Protect — Files are encrypted and stored securely. Clients see watermarked photo previews and low-resolution video streams — nothing full-quality, nothing downloadable — until payment is confirmed.
- Get Paid — Set your own price. Collect payment directly through Stripe. Full-resolution files release automatically the moment the invoice is paid — no manual transfers, no follow-up emails.
Our Promise: The Best Value-to-Cost Ratio, Not Just the Lowest Price
We don't take a percentage of your income. DAT Drives charges one flat fee for storage and delivery — what you invoice your client is yours, minus only the standard Stripe processing fee. No commission, no hidden cut, no surprise charges at checkout.
Every plan is built around a simple standard: the storage, features, and security you actually need to run a professional delivery workflow, priced so the platform never becomes a line item you have to justify. We'd rather earn a flat monthly fee by being worth it than take a cut of your best month.
Who We Build For
DAT Drives is built for the people who create, deliver, and get paid for visual work — starting with:
- Wedding and event photographers
- Videographers and filmmakers
- Photo and video studios
- Creative agencies managing client delivery at volume
This is our starting point, not our ceiling. The same problem — deliver work, protect it, get paid for it without friction — shows up across the wider creator economy: designers, musicians, 3D artists, and AI-native creators all face versions of it. We're building DAT Drives to solve it well for photographers and videographers first, and to extend it deliberately from there.
Our Values
- Trust — Your files are yours. We don't share, use, or process client content beyond delivering it to the people you choose.
- Security — Encrypted storage and a paywall that actually holds — nothing full-resolution moves until payment clears.
- Speed — Upload, share, get paid — without extra tools bolted on.
- Simplicity — A professional experience for you and your client, without a learning curve for either.
- Fair economics — Flat pricing. No commission. What you earn is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DAT Drives? DAT Drives is a cloud storage and client delivery platform for photographers and videographers. It lets creators share watermarked previews, collect payment via Stripe, and automatically release full-resolution files once a client pays.
Who founded DAT Drives? DAT Drives was founded by Niko Kabalenov (CEO), Timur Rakhimov (CFO), and Nikolay Bronskiy (CTO) — three friends who have known each other since high school, now based across the United States and Portugal, combining backgrounds in engineering, software development, business, photography, cinematography, and design.
Does DAT Drives take a commission on sales? No. DAT Drives charges a flat monthly fee for storage and delivery. Creators keep what they invoice, minus standard Stripe processing fees.
How is DAT Drives different from Dropbox, WeTransfer, or Google Drive? Those platforms weren't built with a payment paywall or a client gallery experience. DAT Drives combines encrypted storage, watermarked previews, and automatic Stripe-based file release into a single workflow built specifically for creative delivery.
Is DAT Drives available now? DAT Drives is in early access, working directly with a select group of professional photographers and videographers to shape the product ahead of a wider launch.
Who is DAT Drives for? DAT Drives is built primarily for wedding and event photographers, videographers, and creative studios — with a roadmap toward serving the broader creator economy over time.
Get Started
DAT Drives is currently in early access. If you're a photographer or videographer tired of chasing invoices, reach out to join early access or start a free trial.