The Information

Creator Economy Database

Creator Startup Funding Hits Highest Level Since 2021

By Kaya Yurieff and Akash Pasricha · Apr 17, 2025 10:44am PDT

U.S. creator economy startups raised more money in the first three months of the year than in any quarter since 2021 as investors placed bigger bets on companies tied to music, artificial intelligence and shopping. U.S. creator startups raised $928 million during the first quarter, nearly two and a half times the funds raised in the same period... U.S. creator economy startups raised more money in the first three months of the year than in any...

Creator Economy Database

Creator Economy Startup Funding Rebounds as Industry Matures

By Kaya Yurieff and Akash Pasricha · Jan 15, 2025 10:45am PST

Funding for U.S. creator economy startups roared back in 2024, buoyed in part by excitement about artificial intelligence, after two years of decline. At the same time, dozens of startups agreed to be acquired or shut down, signs that the industry is maturing. Last year, funding for U.S. creator economy startups rose 51% to more than $1.58... Funding for U.S. creator economy startups roared back in 2024, buoyed in part by excitement about...

Creator Economy Database

Creator Startups Have Already Raised as Much Money This Year as in All of 2023

By Kaya Yurieff and Akash Pasricha · Jul 10, 2024 10:40am PDT · 1 comment

Venture capitalists are rediscovering their flair for the creator economy. In the first half of this year, U.S. creator economy startups raised roughly as much money as in all of last year, according to new data from The Information’s Creator Economy Database. In the second quarter alone, U.S. creator startups raised $692.7 million, up 68%... Venture capitalists are rediscovering their flair for the creator economy. In the first half of...

Cory Cotton, Coby Cotton of Dude Perfect; Lucy Guo of Passes. Photos by Getty, Lucy Guo.

U.S. Creator Funding Surges for First Time in Two Years

By Kaya Yurieff and Akash Pasricha · Apr 16, 2024 6:00am PDT

Cory Cotton, Coby Cotton of Dude Perfect; Lucy Guo of Passes. Photos by Getty, Lucy Guo.

Creator Economy Database

U.S. Creator Funding Surges for First Time in Two Years

By Kaya Yurieff and Akash Pasricha · Apr 16, 2024 6:00am PDT

Venture capitalists are warming to creator economy startups again. Funding for U.S.-based creator startups more than doubled in the first three months of the year to nearly $341 million, according to The Information’s Creator Economy Database. The quarter marked the first year-over-year rise since early 2022 and defied a continued slump in... Venture capitalists are warming to creator economy startups again. Funding for U.S.-based creator...

Creator Economy Database

45 Creator Economy Startups That Could Be for Sale This Year

By Kaya Yurieff and Abubakar Idris · Feb 14, 2024 7:00am PST

Many creator economy startups have found themselves in a precarious position in the aftermath of the pandemic funding boom. Some have laid off staff or cut costs to stay afloat, while others are running on fumes, forcing them to scramble for new capital, find buyers or close altogether. The most vulnerable are those that haven’t raised... Many creator economy startups have found themselves in a precarious position in the aftermath of...

Left to right: musicians thekid.ACE, PinkPantheress, beabadoobee and Tokimonsta. Art by Shane Burke.

Creator Economy Database

Creator Startup Funding Breaks Quarterly U.S. Losing Streak

By Isabelle Sarraf and Kalley Huang · Jun 20, 2023 10:41am PDT

It’s still incredibly hard to raise venture capital as the founder of a creator economy startup—unless you’re offering services for independent musicians. Creator economy startups in the U.S. raised $151.5 million in venture funding in the second quarter of this year so far, down 82% year over year, according to an update from... It’s still incredibly hard to raise venture capital as the founder of a creator economy...

Art by Shane Burke. Photos by Shutterstock, Bloomberg, Bluesky and Super Plastic.

Creator Economy Database

Some Creator Economy Deals Are Still Getting Done, Thanks to Twitter Chaos

By Isabelle Sarraf · Apr 13, 2023 2:35pm PDT

Two Twitter alternatives, two Web3-based startups and a social music platform for communal DJing: These are some of the 15 creator startups that bucked a severe downturn in funding to raise money in the first quarter, according to The Information’s newly updated Creator Economy Database. The database now tracks more than 350 private... Two Twitter alternatives, two Web3-based startups and a social music platform for communal DJing:...

From left, TikToker Khabe Lame, YouTube star MrBeast, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, YouTuber Jackie Aina, TikTok stars Addison Rae and Zach King, Twitch streamer Ninja. Photos via YouTube, Bloomberg and Getty.

The Creator Economy’s Next Chapter: Living With Less

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 3, 2023 10:09am PST · 1 comment

From left, TikToker Khabe Lame, YouTube star MrBeast, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, YouTuber Jackie Aina, TikTok stars Addison Rae and Zach King, Twitch streamer Ninja. Photos via YouTube, Bloomberg and Getty.

Creator Economy Database

The Creator Economy’s Next Chapter: Living With Less

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 3, 2023 10:09am PST · 1 comment

The creator economy will have to learn to live with less this year. Headed into 2023, startups that support online influencers don’t have the cash bulwark they did a year ago. Venture capital investors sank $2.5 billion into creator economy startups last year, down 50% from 2021, according to an analysis of The Information’s Creator... The creator economy will have to learn to live with less this year. Headed into 2023, startups...

Creator Economy Database

The Buzz Over Creator Economy Dulls to a Quiet Roar

By Mahira Dayal · Oct 3, 2022 6:00am PDT

The creator economy is going through a shakeout. Tech companies focused on creators are laying off workers, shelving products and curbing perks such as cash advances for online influencers. Funding for U.S. creator startups in the third quarter sank 53% from the year-ago period, the third straight quarter of annual decline. But it’s not... The creator economy is going through a shakeout. Tech companies focused on creators are laying...

Creator Economy Database

Creator Economy Startup Funding Drops 60% From a Year Ago

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 6, 2022 6:00am PDT · 4 comments

Creator economy startups in the U.S. raised less than $700 million in venture funding in the second quarter of this year. That’s 26% less than the previous quarter and marks a fourth consecutive quarter of decline in venture investments tracked by The Information’s Creator Economy Database. The quarterly drop reflects a decline in... Creator economy startups in the U.S. raised less than $700 million in venture funding in the...

Creator Economy Database

How Creator Economy Investments Could Hit $5 Billion This Year

By Kaya Yurieff and Mahira Dayal · Oct 25, 2021 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Facebook wants to talk about its ties to creators. So do Chipotle, Disney and Stripe. The upswell of interest in people earning a living from their online followers means it has never been a better time for founders building startups that serve creators. New data show how successful these efforts have been. Some 101 U.S. startups focused on... Facebook wants to talk about its ties to creators. So do Chipotle, Disney and Stripe. The upswell...

What We Learned From TI’s Creator Economy Database

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 28, 2021 12:35pm PDT · 5 comments

Creator Economy Database

What We Learned From TI’s Creator Economy Database

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 28, 2021 12:35pm PDT · 5 comments

You may have heard about Patreon and Substack, but what about Splice or Kajabi? These are just a few of the startups focused on serving creators that make up our just-launched database of 50 private U.S. companies. View the full interactive list here. This list sheds some light on the opportunity founders see in serving the millions of... You may have heard about Patreon and Substack, but what about Splice or Kajabi? These are just a...