The creator economy is on the rise. The first quarter of 2024 saw an investment of nearly $341 million.
Whether it was Flip’s $144 million investment or Duetti raising $90 million, major investments are happening this year.
This signals that investors are looking to back unique creator economy startups that show potential. If you’re looking to expand or pour more capital into hiring the right team, you need funding. Which investors do you turn to? In this article, we’ll cover the top creator economy investors and VCs you can reach out to.
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Top Creator Economy Investors
Venture capitalists provide capital and resources to help creator economy startups grow. If you’re a creator economy startup, below is a list of 10 creator economy investors you can approach for funding or strategic guidance.
1. UTA Ventures
UTA Ventures is led by Sam Wich who has worked in the influencer space for over a decade. Part of the United Talent Agency, it focuses on investing in and supporting the creator economy.
The firm has invested in platforms and startups that enhance the monetization opportunities for creators, such as Patreon and Cameo.
UTA Ventures also partnered with YouTuber Emma Chamberlain (9 million subscribers) for her coffee product, Chamberlain Coffee.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Frontier tech
- Future of entertainment
Investments in the creator economy
- Bounty
- Cymbal
- Fiton
- Mogul
- Pietra
- Rembrand
Get in touch with the team at UTA Ventures by filling this form.
2. Seven Seven Six
Seven Seven Six, founded by Alexis Ohanian, is a venture capital firm that heavily invests in the creator economy. The firm focuses on backing innovative startups that empower creators to monetize their content and build sustainable businesses.
It is prominently known to invest in seed-stage startups in the creator economy.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Health & wellness
- Emerging technologies
Investments in the creator economy
- Metafy
- Fourthwall
- Yuga Labs
- Pearpop
- Clash
- Zestworld
- Riverside.fm
Get in touch with the team at Seven Seven Six by sending an email at contact@sevensevensix.com.
3. Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a VC firm that focuses on early-stage investments in the enterprise tech and consumer space. It was founded in 2000 and has $18.9 billion within 1500 investments with its affiliates.
The firm supports startups that provide creators with tools and platforms to monetize their content, grow their audiences, and build sustainable businesses.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Fintech
- Healthcare
- Enterprise
- Consumer technology
Investments in the creator economy
- Cameo
- Nas Academy
- Snapchat
- Twitch
- Calm
- Audius
- Autograph
Get in touch with the team at Lightspeed Venture Partners through their Contacts page.
4. Charge (Index) Ventures
Charge Ventures is a VC investment firm that has been around since 1996, and has $6.83 billion in assets under management.
The principal of Index Ventures – Rex Woodbury is also an influencer with over 220k Instagram followers and has a newsletter about internet culture. Being one himself, he understands the struggles of creators and influencers in the economy very well.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- AI
- Robotics
- Blockchain
- Gaming
- Consumer applications
Investments in the creator economy
- Gather
- Fanbase
- Discord
- Dubsmash
- Patreon
- Creative Juice
- Sanlo
Get in touch with the team at Charge Ventures through their LinkedIn page.
5. Slow Ventures
Slow Ventures was started in 2009 by a Facebook employee Dave Morin and was originally supported by five Facebook alumni.
The firm has made over 300 seed-stage investments in startups in the creator economy. Now the firm is also experimenting with investing in the creators themselves.
The firm has been heavily investing in NFT startups recently, funding 4 startups in Series A and Venture rounds.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Consumer technology
- Health & wellness
- Fintech
- Education
Investments in the creator economy
- Substack
- Camhouse
- Patreon
- Teachable
- Pearpop
- Breakr
- Creative Juice
- Swoop
Get in touch with the team at Slow Ventures by filling this form.
6. Starting Line
Starting Line was founded by Ezra Galston in 2018 and is a Chicago-based venture capital fund.
It particularly focuses on consumer startups, especially those within the creator economy. They aim to support companies that empower individuals to build their own businesses and brands.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Consumer technology
- Health & wellness
- Fintech
- EdTech
- Ecommerce
Investments in the creator economy
- Cameo
- Trill
- Mavely
- Substack
- Kapwing
- Soona
Get in touch with the team at Starting Line through their LinkedIn page.
7. Night Ventures
Night Ventures is the early-stage fund of Night Media (a management firm that manages some of the top creators like YouTuber MrBeast). It strategically focuses on the creator economy, aiming to support and scale businesses that empower content creators and influencers.
Their investments often include social media management tools, content distribution platforms, and services that provide financial and business infrastructure for creators.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Social Media
- Digital Marketing
- Ecommerce
- Financial Services
Investments in the creator economy
- Beacons
- Zora
- Bitski
- Streamlabs
- Playbook
- ConvertKit
Get in touch with the team at Night Ventures through their LinkedIn page.
8. Floodgate
Floodgate is a VC firm that mainly invests in early-stage tech companies. The firm has raised over $400 million in funds.
The firm focuses on companies that offer unique solutions in content creation, distribution, and monetization, recognizing the growing impact of individual creators in the digital economy.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Consumer
- Crypto
- Enterprise
- Fintech
- Healthcare
Investments in the creator economy
- Lyftt
- Okta
- Twitch
- BigCommerce
- Jodel
- Skale Labs
- Poparazzi
Get in touch with the team at Floodgate through their LinkedIn page.
9. Spark Capital
Spark capital is a venture capital firm with over $4 billion under management, with offices in San Francisco, Boston, and New York.
Spark Capital has a diverse portfolio that includes social media platforms, content creation tools, and other innovative technologies that empower creators.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Consumer
- Crypto
- Enterprise
- Fintech
- AI
- Frontier tech
Investments in the creator economy
- Cameo
- Brud
- Tumblr
- Discord
- Snapchat
- Descript
Get in touch with the team at Spark Capital by sending an email at contactus@sparkcapital.com
10. Atelier Ventures
Atelier Ventures is an investment firm founded by Li Jin, which mainly supports early stage creator economy startups. Even though the firm was founded in 2020, it has become one of the biggest players in the creator economy.
Li’s strategy is based on funding companies in the passion economy. She supports companies that are building solutions and products for creators that may not be big and well-established.
Investment Focus
- Creator economy
- Online education
- Personal branding
Investments in the creator economy
- Substack
- Patreon
- Luma
- Syndicate
- Bonfire
- Vori
Contact the founder, Li, by sending an email at li@atelierventures.co
Creator Economy Investment Trends and Insights
We have pulled some investment trends and insights from research studies, reports, and expert discussions to guide your funding decisions. Here are five major trends we are seeing.
- The last quarter of 2023 showed AI creator startups being the second most funded sector. As creators use AI to make content creation faster and easier, investors are showing more interest in this sector. Here’s what Lightspeed Venture Partners partner Michael Mignano had to say, “New creator platforms have the added advantage of being able to leverage AI to make what they do bigger and better. We still believe there’s going to be more opportunity there”
- In the first quarter of 2024, we saw an increase in music startups founded by creators themselves. Two examples of these music startups–Perfect and Duetti raised rounds of investments. This shows investors seeing promise in creators’ influence over advertising and entertainment creator startups.
- In April 2024, creator startups raised triple the amount ($269 million across 9 deals) than last April. Investors are making larger investments in fewer but high-potential startups.
- The creator economy is estimated to roughly double in size over the next few years, touching $480 billion in 2027. This means investments are going nowhere, they might just evolve.
- Influencer marketing is forecasted to ramp up, meaning we might see investments picking up in this particular sector.
To Wrap It All Up
Rising investments in this year holds a lot of hope for startups in the creator economy. Inventors are prepared to pour their resources into startups that are unique, backed by creators, and leveraging current trends.
To make the most out of this rising graph, get our creator economy investor database. Enter your email address, download it for free and reach out to relevant investors.
FAQs
Raising investment in your creator economy startup provides the necessary capital to scale your operations, accelerate growth, and stay competitive. It also brings strategic guidance, industry connections, and credibility that you can use to achieve long-term success.
To approach creator economy investors, start by researching those who have a track record of investing in similar startups. We can provide you with a one-stop database that has all the details of the top 50 creator economy investors.
When finalizing a creator economy investor, consider their industry expertise, alignment with your vision, track record of supporting startups, and the value they can bring beyond capital, such as strategic guidance and connections. Additionally, assess the terms of the investment and how much equity you’re willing to give up.
Before pitching to creator economy investors, prepare a compelling pitch deck that includes your value proposition, market opportunity, business model, traction, and financial projections. Be ready to talk about your growth strategy, potential risks, and how the investment will drive your startup’s success.
To determine the right amount of capital to raise for your creator economy startup, assess your current financial needs, projected growth, and key milestones you aim to achieve. Consider the costs for product development, marketing, and scaling, while ensuring you retain sufficient equity and avoid overfunding.
