As Digital Stars Go Mainstream, Startups Vie to Connect Influencers to Brands

We use CB Insights database to highlight 11 early-stage startups across the emerging influencer marketing space.

In March 2016, 29 million new videos were uploaded to YouTube by 7 million creators, generating 50 billion views, according to Tubular Labs. The result is a shifting tide in who young people identify as celebrities and tastemakers. As Luke Hyams, chief content officer at multi-channel network Maker Studios, said recently,

“We are entering a new era in which musicians and pop idols, so to speak, are not the go-to main celebrity for young people. It is the digital celebrities, the digital influencers. And with that comes a bit of a generational divide.”

But as Digiday has noted in an interview with a social media executive, finding the right influencers isn’t always straightforward and some brands have used less-than-scientific tactics:

So as YouTube, Vine, and Snapchat create a new crop of digital media stars, a wave of early-stage, investor-backed startups are emerging to connect them to brands for opportunities ranging from content partnerships to sponsorships and product placement.

While some startups such as Popular Pays and Naritiv focus on connecting brands with the most influential users of certain platforms (e.g., Instagram, Snapchat), other influencer marketplaces including FameBit and The Influential Network are connecting content creators across networks. As startup formation in the space continues to grow, we took a look in the CB Insights database to highlight 11 startups across the influencer marketing space.

11 Early-Stage Influencer Networks
Company	Description	Total Disclosed Funding ($M)	Select Investors	Influencer Platforms
Reelio	Influencer marketing platform helping brands, agencies, and publishers build and maintain rosters of YouTube talent	7.1	e.ventures, Andrew Reis, Jason Glickman, KRW Schindler Private Ventuers, Thomas Hesse	YouTube
HyPR Brands	Social influencer analytics and marketplace	5	Edgewater Capital Partners, Klingenstein, Fields & Co., SilverTech Ventures, Star Farm Ventures	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, Pinterest
Naritiv	Network connecting brands and advertisers with Snapchat influencers	3.9	Disney Accelerator, Luminari Capital, Deluxe Entertainment, Wavemaker Partners, Matthew Anderson	Snapchat
FameBit	Marketplace connecting brands with creators across various social networks	3.0	500 Startups, DeNA, Ironfire Ventures, Science Media, Allen DeBevoise	Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Vine, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube
InstaBrand	Marketplace connecting advertisers and individuals with large mobile social followings	2.5	TI Capital	Instagram, Vine
Popular Pays	Marketplace connecting marketers and Instagram users	2.3	Y Combinator, Social Starts, Bessemer Venture Partners, Lakewest Venture Partnrs, ZenStone Venture Capital, Romar Capital	Instagram
Grapevine Logic	Marketplace connecting brand sponsorship opportunities and YouTube channels	1.7	Accomplice, Boston Seed Capital, Techstars	YouTube
The Influential Network	Mobile-first marketplace matching select influencers with brands	1.5	Europlay Capital Partners	Vine, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter
MuseFind	Marketplace connecting influencers to brand marketing opportunities across verticals	0.04	Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator	Instagram
Tailify	Marketplace connecting social media influencers with brand promotion opportunities	–	SEED Capital	Instagram
Captiv8	SaaS-based analytics platform and influencer-brand marketplace	–	Social Starts	Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter