Our latest chart looks at the creator economy startups that have achieved unicorn status, according to our database of companies in this sector.
The list is quite varied. While two focus on creator- or celebrity-run online courses (Kajabi, MasterClass), the others offer very different products, such as Patreon’s membership platform or Cameo, which allows fans to request personalized videos from their favorite athletes, reality TV stars and social media personalities.
What stands out is how fast some of the newer startups have achieved billion-dollar valuations—or beyond. It took Patreon seven years to become a unicorn, and eight years to rise to a $4 billion valuation. Social audio app Clubhouse, in contrast, became a unicorn in January and then secured a $4 billion valuation in April, after about a year of existence. And like Clubhouse, OpenSea, a marketplace for digital collectibles known as NFTs, has raised funding twice this year, bringing its valuation quickly past $1 billion.
Strong investor interest in this sector suggests it won’t be long before more startups join this list. These include:
