From brand deals to equity deals: creators want a stake, not just a fee

As the creator economy has matured, it’s moved beyond one-off brand deals to pulling creators into the C-suite and onto advisory boards. Now, a new phase is underway: getting creators in at the ground floor as angel investors or with sweat equity. The people building the infrastructure around this revenue pathway expect it to grow fast in the coming months. 

Alix Earle becoming a strategic equity investor in soda brand Poppi in 2024 was just the start. 

“My really smart consumer founders were trying to get creators on cap tables a long time ago,” said Kate McAndrew, co-founder and general partner at Baukunst, a venture capital fund. “2017, 2018, all of a sudden, my B2B founders were coming to me and being like, ‘Is there any way that we could get creators to invest? How do you meet a creator?’” 

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Author: Alyssa Mercante

Search & Affiliate Marketing Strategist since 1993