Recent Editions

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki. Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

What to Expect From Social Media Earnings This Week

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 31, 2022 3:20pm PST
This week brings a parade of fourth-quarter earnings from major tech companies. Here’s what we’re paying close attention to in the creator-sphere. Alphabet (Tuesday)Google parent company Alphabet began breaking out YouTube’s advertising revenue for the first time in February 2020. We’ll be watching to see if YouTube's revenue growth sped up... This week brings a parade of fourth-quarter earnings from major tech companies. Here’s what we’re...
How Subscription Take Rates Compare; Interview With a TikTok Baker
Creator Economy

How Subscription Take Rates Compare; Interview With a TikTok Baker

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 27, 2022 5:10pm PST
Some companies, like Substack and Patreon, earn revenue by taking a cut of subscriptions, the monthly recurring fees that followers pay to access creators’ content. Other social media companies have caught on and realized that subscriptions are a way to expand creators’—and the platforms’—revenues.  Our latest chart shows how different... Some companies, like Substack and Patreon, earn revenue by taking a cut of subscriptions, the...
David Yovanno, CEO of Impact. Credit: Impact
Creator Economy

Influencer Startup Impact Plans IPO Filing for Third Quarter

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 26, 2022 4:16pm PST
For some creator economy startups whose growth took off during the pandemic, the prospect of going public is now a reality. But one of the most turbulent stock markets in two years could muddy those plans. Impact, a provider of marketing software that last valued at $1.5 billion, aims to file confidentially to go public in the third quarter... For some creator economy startups whose growth took off during the pandemic, the prospect of...
Koji co-founders Dmitry Shapiro (left) and Sean Thielen. Photo: Koji
Koji, the Creator Economy’s App Store, Raises $20 Million from Jump Capital
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 25, 2022 3:04pm PST
Koji co-founders Dmitry Shapiro (left) and Sean Thielen. Photo: Koji
Creator Economy

Koji, the Creator Economy’s App Store, Raises $20 Million from Jump Capital

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 25, 2022 3:04pm PST
Koji, a startup that hosts a virtual store for apps used by creators, has raised $20 million in Series B funding led by Jump Capital. New investors include HBSE Ventures and Electric Feel Ventures, a venture firm set up by one of rapper Post Malone’s managers. The San Diego-based startup offers what’s known as link-in-bio web pages for... Koji, a startup that hosts a virtual store for apps used by creators, has raised $20 million in...
Photo credit: AP
Creator Economy

TikTok Creators Air Grievance Over Fund Payouts

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 24, 2022 4:17pm PST · 2 comments
TikTok has long been cloudy about how the money in its $1 billion Creator Fund, announced July 2020, is distributed. Some creators have told us they generate meager earnings through the fund, despite accumulating millions of views on the app. In recent days, they’ve used their social media megaphones to draw attention to their... TikTok has long been cloudy about how the money in its $1 billion Creator Fund, announced July...
Workweek co-founders Adam Ryan and Becca Sherman. Photo: Sarah Karlan
Creator Economy

Workweek Launches Venture Fund Where Creators Source the Deals

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 20, 2022 3:27pm PST
We recently wrote about the rise of creators on cap tables and how founders are eager to tap into their audiences and know-how. But not all creators are in a financial position to invest, while others are unfamiliar with navigating the process. Workweek, a media startup that works with business-focused creators, saw an opportunity to get... We recently wrote about the rise of creators on cap tables and how founders are eager to tap into...
Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Photo: AP
Creator Economy

What Instagram’s Move Into Subscriptions Means for TikTok—and Patreon

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 19, 2022 3:49pm PST
Back in May, Instagram head Adam Mosseri told The Information the photo-sharing app was exploring subscriptions for its influencers. On Wednesday, his boss Mark Zuckerberg took the wraps off the feature, announcing on his personal Facebook page that Instagram would test subscriptions with a limited number of U.S.-based creators. Creator and... Back in May, Instagram head Adam Mosseri told The Information the photo-sharing app was exploring...
Stan CEO John Hu. Photo: Stan
Stan, a Shopify for Creators, Backed by Forerunner; Microsoft’s Activision Deal Buys Ties to Streamers
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 18, 2022 2:16pm PST
Stan CEO John Hu. Photo: Stan
Creator Economy

Stan, a Shopify for Creators, Backed by Forerunner; Microsoft’s Activision Deal Buys Ties to Streamers

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 18, 2022 2:16pm PST
This year I expect to see more creator economy startups expanding their offerings to become one-stop-shops for online performers. That approach will mark a change from the past few years, when startups largely focused on niches such as providing a fan membership app or banking tools, prompting creators to stitch together a patchwork of... This year I expect to see more creator economy startups expanding their offerings to become...
Narek Gharibyan, casino slots influencer. Credit: Narek Gharibyan. Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

BlueJeans Attempts a Creator Comeback; a Casino Influencer’s Big Bucks

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 13, 2022 4:16pm PST
Remember BlueJeans? The videoconferencing service aimed at corporate customers was one of the startups benefiting from a pandemic-driven boost in demand for remote-work tools in the first half of 2020. That May, Verizon bought the Zoom Video rival for around $500 million. Since then, we haven’t heard much—until today, when Verizon announced... Remember BlueJeans? The videoconferencing service aimed at corporate customers was one of the...
Benjamin Grubbs, founder of Next 10 Ventures. Photo: Wendy Yalom
Creator Economy

The Rise of Creators on Cap Tables; Wordle Copycat App Apologizes

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 12, 2022 3:23pm PST
For hot startup deals, venture funds are increasingly competing with powerhouse hedge funds such as Tiger Global Management and solo venture capitalists like Elad Gil. Investors in creator economy startups are also facing a third flank of rivals: social media creators with money to burn.Next 10 Ventures founder Benjamin Grubbs says that, more... For hot startup deals, venture funds are increasingly competing with powerhouse hedge funds such...
Tony Tran, co-founder and CEO of Lumanu. Photo: Lumanu
Creator Economy

A Startup That Helps Creators Get Paid Expands Into Crypto

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 11, 2022 4:22pm PST
With many revenue streams comes lots of paperwork. Social media creators, for example, can be paid by multiple social media platforms and many also choose to work with brands for sponsored posts and advertising. Each source will require the creator to fill out long vendor forms, fill in sensitive data like social security numbers many times and... With many revenue streams comes lots of paperwork. Social media creators, for example, can be...
5 Startups That Raised Twice Last Year; Wordle Guesses Sweep Twitter
5 Startups That Raised Twice Last Year; Wordle Guesses Sweep Twitter
By Mahira Dayal · Jan 10, 2022 3:53pm PST
5 Startups That Raised Twice Last Year; Wordle Guesses Sweep Twitter
Creator Economy

5 Startups That Raised Twice Last Year; Wordle Guesses Sweep Twitter

By Mahira Dayal · Jan 10, 2022 3:53pm PST
The big checkbooks chasing creator economy startups meant that a handful of U.S.-based firms from our Creator Economy database managed to raise two or more rounds of venture capital last year. Our latest chart shows that most of the double dippers were high profile names, including NFT marketplace OpenSea, live shopping app Whatnot and... The big checkbooks chasing creator economy startups meant that a handful of U.S.-based firms from...
Bryan Reisberg and Maxine, his internet famous corgi. Photo: @madmax_fluffyroad & @heylittlechonk
Creator Economy

Spotify’s Clubhouse Rival is a Ghost Town; An Interview With an Instagram-Famous Corgi Owner

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 6, 2022 3:19pm PST
You have to wonder what’s happening with Spotify’s social audio app Greenroom. In a virtual media presentation at the annual CES consumer tech conference Wednesday, Spotify touted a half dozen recent efforts to make audio features more interactive, from video podcasts to revamped ads that feature a clickable “Shop Now” option. Notably... You have to wonder what’s happening with Spotify’s social audio app Greenroom. In a virtual media...
Patreon CEO Jack Conte. Photo: Patreon
Creator Economy

Patreon Says Creator Lifetime Earnings Hit $3.5 Billion

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 5, 2022 3:58pm PST · 3 comments
The pandemic shutdowns meant boom times for Patreon. The nearly nine-year-old company benefited from a spike in activity from online performers and fans and raised $245 million in funding in less than a year. But like many of the companies that saw a pandemic boost, Patreon is now tasked with keeping that growth going, especially as a parade of... The pandemic shutdowns meant boom times for Patreon. The nearly nine-year-old company benefited...
Forerunner Ventures founder Kirsten Green. Photo: Forerunner Ventures
Creator Economy

Forerunner’s Kirsten Green Says ‘There’s More Money Than There Are Good Deals’

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 4, 2022 3:16pm PST
Last year brought a frenzy of investments and new startups to the creator economy. Now comes the reality check. The market isn’t big enough for all of these upstarts, according to Kirsten Green, founder and managing partner of Forerunner Ventures. “There will be winners and losers,” she said in an interview with The Information. “That’s... Last year brought a frenzy of investments and new startups to the creator economy. Now comes the...
LTK co-founders Baxter Box (l) and Amber Venz Box (r) announced a $300 million investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 in November. Photo: LTK
The Startups That Powered Creator Economy Investments to $5 Billion
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 3, 2022 2:40pm PST
LTK co-founders Baxter Box (l) and Amber Venz Box (r) announced a $300 million investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 in November. Photo: LTK
Creator Economy

The Startups That Powered Creator Economy Investments to $5 Billion

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 3, 2022 2:40pm PST
In October, we predicted that investments in U.S. creator economy startups would hit $5 billion by the end of last year. It turns out we were spot on. More than 140 U.S. companies in this sector raised at least $5.07 billion in funding last year, according to data from The Information's Creator Economy Database. That caps off a whirlwind... In October, we predicted that investments in U.S. creator economy startups would hit $5 billion...
Credit: Bloomberg, Illustration: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Creator Economy: 2021 Year in Review and Our 2022 Predictions

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 23, 2021 2:00pm PST
Welcome to the last Creator Economy newsletter of 2021. Thank you so much for reading, sharing with others and giving your feedback and tips.  As of today, we have published 134 editions of this newsletter. We’ve chronicled the competition among tech giants for internet performers, tracked new startups, spotlighted creators, brought... Welcome to the last Creator Economy newsletter of 2021. Thank you so much for reading, sharing...
Chart: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

The Year in Charts; Top 10 Creator Economy Moments

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 22, 2021 2:00pm PST
It’s hard to keep up with the frenzy of creator economy announcements, let alone compare similar offerings from different platforms. That’s why we’ve leaned into making charts to break down these features in a digestible format. The three charts that generated the most chatter on social media this year compared tipping take rates, creator funds... It’s hard to keep up with the frenzy of creator economy announcements, let alone compare similar...
Rosebud AI CEO Lisha Li. Photo: Courtesy of Lisha Li.
Creator Economy

Animation Startup Rosebud AI Pivots to Blockchain; OnlyFans’ Founder Steps Down

By Mahira Dayal · Dec 21, 2021 4:02pm PST
Talk that the decentralized technology of Web3 will soon supplant the established internet puts young startups in a quandary: they can stick to their existing technology and business models or make a costly and risky overhaul onto the blockchain.Some, like Rosebud AI, are making the leap. The three-year-old startup began by operating a... Talk that the decentralized technology of Web3 will soon supplant the established internet puts...
A Chart of Twitter’s Creator Economy Deals; Instagram’s Mosseri Explores NFTs
A Chart of Twitter’s Creator Economy Deals; Instagram’s Mosseri Explores NFTs
By Mahira Dayal · Dec 20, 2021 3:38pm PST
A Chart of Twitter’s Creator Economy Deals; Instagram’s Mosseri Explores NFTs
Creator Economy

A Chart of Twitter’s Creator Economy Deals; Instagram’s Mosseri Explores NFTs

By Mahira Dayal · Dec 20, 2021 3:38pm PST
Twitter has been busy making deals this year, disclosing the acquisitions of at least 10 companies or their personnel. The chart above shows that three of these—social podcasting app Breaker, newsletter publishing tool Revue, and Threader, an app that compiles tweets into threads—are aimed at creators. They signal Twitter is serious about... Twitter has been busy making deals this year, disclosing the acquisitions of at least 10...