What are the most valued startups in the creator economy?

Last updated: 13 July 2026

Download our beautiful pitch about the creator economy

market research pitch 2026 statistics creator economy

In our creator economy deck, you will find everything you need to understand the market

The creator economy now includes marketplaces, media-generation tools, commerce platforms, publishing software and financial infrastructure.

This ranking tracks the most valuable creator economy startups using reported valuations, public market data, acquisition prices and structured estimates.

We update this list every month to reflect new funding rounds, market movements, acquisitions and operating data.

And if you want to better understand this new industry, you can download our pitch covering the creator economy.

A quick summary table

Metric Value
Most valuable creator economy startup Whatnot, $11.5B
Second most valuable creator economy startup ElevenLabs, $11.0B
Median creator economy startup valuation Approximately $185M
Share of creator economy valuation captured by the top 10 Approximately 69.8%
Top creator economy valuation vs. median Approximately 62 times
Median creator economy valuation-to-capital-raised ratio Approximately 4.0 times
Creator economy startups valued at $1B+ 17
Market map chart showing top companies and startups in the creator economy

This market map, featured in our creator economy deck, highlights top companies and startups in the creator economy

Top startups in the creator economy ranked by valuation

Here is an updated table that ranks the top startups in the creator economy based on their latest reported or estimated valuations.

If you want more detaild about their fundraising activity, you can check our list of the startups who have raised the most funding in the creator economy.

# Startup Name What They Do Current Valuation ($) Valuation Confidence Level Valuation Type Evidence Status Total Funding ($) Funding Confidence Level
1 Whatnot Live shopping marketplace $11.5B Full Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $350M Strong Confidence
2 ElevenLabs AI voice and audio generation $11.0B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $792M Partial Confidence
3 Discord Community chat platform $7.5B–$9.5B Partial Confidence IPO or Listing Range Valuation Estimated $995M Strong Confidence
4 Suno AI music generation platform $5.4B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $775M Strong Confidence
5 Runway Generative video and world models $5.3B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $860M Strong Confidence
6 Synthesia AI avatar video platform $4.0B Full Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $536M Strong Confidence
7 OnlyFans Subscription content platform $3.2B Full Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $20M Low Confidence
8 MasterClass Celebrity-led online learning $2.4B–$2.9B Strong Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $461M Strong Confidence
9 Story Protocol Blockchain IP licensing network $1.8B–$2.5B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Estimated $143M Strong Confidence
10 PIP Labs Story Protocol infrastructure developer $1.8B–$2.5B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Estimated $134M Partial Confidence
11 LTK Creator affiliate-commerce platform $1.7B–$2.2B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Estimated $315M Full Confidence
12 Kajabi Creator course SaaS $1.2B–$2.0B Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $550M Full Confidence
13 Lightricks AI photo and video tools $1.3B–$1.8B Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $335M Full Confidence
14 ShopMy Creator commerce affiliate platform $1.5B Full Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $175M Strong Confidence
15 Spotter YouTube catalog financing $1.1B–$1.7B Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $490M Partial Confidence
16 Manychat Social messaging automation software $950M–$1.4B Strong Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $163M Strong Confidence
17 Substack Newsletter publishing platform $1.0B–$1.2B Strong Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $100M Strong Confidence
18 Patreon Creator membership platform $700M–$1.0B Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $410M Strong Confidence
19 Later Influencer marketing platform $700M–$950M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $270M Partial Confidence
20 Jellysmack Creator video scaling $500M–$900M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $500M Partial Confidence
21 Linktree Link-in-bio platform $500M–$800M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $165M Full Confidence
22 Captions AI video creation application $450M–$700M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $100M Partial Confidence
23 Descript AI audio and video editor $450M–$650M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $101M Strong Confidence
24 Firework Shoppable video commerce infrastructure $400M–$650M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $248M Strong Confidence
25 Moonvalley Licensed AI video models $380M–$560M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $154M Full Confidence
26 Triller Short-form creator video platform $466M Full Confidence Public Market Cap Observed $278M Partial Confidence
27 Classplus Educator creator commerce tools $350M–$500M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $167M Partial Confidence
28 GRIN Ecommerce creator management platform $300M–$450M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $144M Partial Confidence
29 Whalar Group Creator marketing and talent businesses $300M–$450M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated Not disclosed Low Confidence
30 Karat Financial Banking tools for creators $275M–$425M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $56M Strong Confidence
31 Agentio AI creator ad marketplace $340M Full Confidence Announced Private Round Valuation Observed $56M Full Confidence
32 Riverside Remote recording and editing platform $280M–$400M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $77M Strong Confidence
33 Rembrand AI virtual product placement $250M–$400M Strong Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $69M Strong Confidence
34 Animaj AI children’s media franchises $240M–$380M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $29M Partial Confidence
35 Passes Creator monetization CRM platform $220M–$330M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $67M Partial Confidence
36 CreatorIQ Enterprise creator marketing software $220M–$320M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $81M Strong Confidence
37 Mavely Everyday influencer commerce platform $250M Strong Confidence Acquisition Value Observed $1M Strong Confidence
38 beehiiv Newsletter SaaS platform $200M–$260M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $50M Strong Confidence
39 Mighty Networks Community course platform $150M–$300M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $68M Strong Confidence
40 NTWRK Culture commerce media platform $170M–$280M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $60M Full Confidence
41 Pearpop Creator collaboration marketplace $170M–$240M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $34M Full Confidence
42 Kittl Browser-based graphic design platform $170M–$240M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $50M Strong Confidence
43 StreamElements Livestream monetization tools $140M–$240M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $111M Full Confidence
44 OpusClip AI short-video clip generator $140M–$220M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $50M Partial Confidence
45 Fixated Creator management and content studio $130M–$220M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $50M Partial Confidence
46 VEED Browser-based video editing platform $140M–$180M Strong Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $35M Full Confidence
47 Wishlink Creator-led commerce storefronts $120M–$180M Strong Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $28M Full Confidence
48 FanBasis Digital business operating system $120M–$170M Strong Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $20M Full Confidence
49 Playback Social sports livestreaming platform $110M–$180M Strong Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $22M Partial Confidence
50 Aspire Ecommerce influencer marketing platform $100M–$150M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $27M Strong Confidence
51 Levanta Amazon creator affiliate platform $100M–$145M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $21M Strong Confidence
52 Humanz AI influencer marketing platform $90M–$140M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $24M Partial Confidence
53 SamCart Creator checkout and commerce software $80M–$130M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $95M Partial Confidence
54 Creatify AI-generated video advertising $80M–$130M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $23M Strong Confidence
55 Fourthwall Creator commerce storefronts $75M–$120M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $17M Strong Confidence
56 Circle Creator community platform $80M–$110M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $33M Strong Confidence
57 Cameo Celebrity video messages $80M–$110M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $118M Strong Confidence
58 Metafy Gaming coaching marketplace $70M–$120M Low Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $34M Full Confidence
59 Stir Creator finance operations tools $70M–$110M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $20M Strong Confidence
60 Modash Creator discovery and payments $70M–$110M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $14M Strong Confidence
61 Delphi AI replicas for experts $70M–$105M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $19M Full Confidence
62 Workweek B2B creator media network $60M–$105M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $14M Partial Confidence
63 Beacons Creator business platform $65M–$95M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $30M Partial Confidence
64 Loti AI Digital likeness protection platform $65M–$95M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $23M Full Confidence
65 Fanfix Gen Z creator subscriptions $65M Strong Confidence Acquisition Value Observed $1M Strong Confidence
66 Kyra Influencer marketing agency $50M–$80M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $28M Partial Confidence
67 STAN Gaming creator community platform $50M–$80M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $18M Strong Confidence
68 Loco Gaming livestreaming platform $65M Full Confidence Acquisition Value Observed $51M Full Confidence
69 KOMI Creator commerce storefront platform $50M–$75M Partial Confidence Implied Valuation from Raise Implied $17M Full Confidence
70 TipTip Creator monetization platform $50M–$75M Partial Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $23M Full Confidence
71 Ready Player Me Cross-platform gaming avatars $45M–$80M Low Confidence Acquisition Value Estimated $71M Strong Confidence
72 Maven Cohort-based course platform $40M–$65M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $25M Full Confidence
73 Restream Multiplatform livestreaming software $35M–$70M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $55M Partial Confidence
74 Dorian Interactive user-created story games $35M–$65M Low Confidence Comparables-Based Estimate Estimated $17M Partial Confidence
75 Fanhouse Subscription fan community platform $35M–$60M Low Confidence Acquisition Value Estimated $21M Strong Confidence
76 CreatorDB AI influencer marketing database $30M–$50M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $5M Full Confidence
77 StreamYard Browser live-streaming studio $25M–$50M Low Confidence Acquisition Value Estimated $0M Full Confidence
78 Koji Link-in-bio mini apps $25M–$45M Low Confidence Acquisition Value Estimated $36M Partial Confidence
79 Influur Influencer marketplace and campaigns $25M–$45M Low Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $15M Full Confidence
80 Blue Wire Sports podcast network $25M–$40M Partial Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $12M Partial Confidence
81 Pietra Creator ecommerce operations platform $20M–$40M Low Confidence Proxy-Based Estimate Estimated $36M Strong Confidence
82 Lemonada Media Independent podcast production network $30M Strong Confidence Acquisition Value Observed $10M Strong Confidence
83 TalkShopLive Livestream retail shopping platform $15M–$30M Low Confidence Revenue or ARR Multiple Estimate Estimated $16M Partial Confidence
84 Popshop Live Livestream shopping marketplace $10M–$25M Low Confidence Acquisition Value Estimated $26M Strong Confidence
85 Geneva Group chat community app $17M Full Confidence Acquisition Value Observed $36M Partial Confidence
86 Flip Social commerce shopping app $0M–$5M Strong Confidence Proxy-Based Estimate Estimated $236M Strong Confidence
Chart comparing the 2026 size of the creator economy with other markets of similar size

This chart, included in our creator economy deck, compares the 2026 size of the creator economy with other markets of similar size

Key valuation trends in the creator economy

Insights

  • The ten largest creator economy startups capture almost 70% of the dataset’s total midpoint valuation, showing that market value remains concentrated in a small group of scaled platforms.
  • Whatnot is valued at $11.5B after raising $350M, giving the live shopping marketplace a valuation equal to roughly 33 times its disclosed funding.
  • Runway, Suno and Synthesia hold a combined valuation of about $14.7B after raising roughly $2.2B, making generative media infrastructure one of the creator economy’s largest value pools.
  • Creator commerce companies Whatnot, LTK, ShopMy, Mavely, Wishlink and FanBasis represent about $15.5B in combined valuation from only $889M of disclosed capital.
  • Story Protocol’s midpoint valuation is close to $2.2B, roughly 15 times its disclosed funding, which highlights strong investor demand for creator intellectual-property infrastructure.
  • Substack’s midpoint valuation of about $1.1B is eleven times its $100M funding total, showing the capital efficiency of subscription publishing businesses with strong network effects.
  • Agentio and Rembrand have a combined valuation near $665M after raising $125M, suggesting that creator advertising infrastructure is emerging as a significant standalone category.
  • Mavely’s $250M acquisition price compared with only $1M in disclosed funding represents the strongest apparent capital outcome in the creator economy dataset.
  • Flip presents the clearest capital-destruction case, with a near-zero estimated residual valuation after raising $236M in an adjacent social commerce category.
Chart showing beehiiv’s strategy in the creator economy

This chart, included in our creator economy deck, breaks down beehiiv’s strategy in the creator economy

A few word about our methodology

As you can see, we built a database that ranks startups in the creator economy based on their current valuation.

Estimating creator economy startup valuations is not always straightforward. Many companies do not publicly disclose their valuation, and the available information can vary widely depending on the company and its stage.

To build this creator economy ranking, we applied a structured valuation methodology and cross-checked information across multiple reliable sources.

Whenever possible, we relied on direct disclosures. These include announced valuations from completed funding rounds, public filings for listed companies, or official acquisition prices.

When a creator economy company is publicly listed, we use its current market capitalization as the reference valuation.

If a creator economy startup was acquired and no independent valuation can reasonably be estimated today, we use the acquisition price as the main reference point.

When a startup recently raised capital but the valuation was not disclosed, we estimate the implied valuation using typical dilution levels for that stage of fundraising.

In some cases, we estimate valuations using operating metrics such as revenue, ARR, creator activity, transaction volume or customer traction. We combine these metrics with valuation multiples from comparable creator economy companies.

When direct financial data is not available, we may rely on carefully selected comparable startups and other signals such as hiring growth, investor quality, product traction, audience scale or platform activity.

All estimates follow a strict evidence hierarchy. Recent funding rounds with announced valuations carry the most weight, followed by strong operating metrics and comparable company analysis.

We also carefully evaluate the age of every data point. Recent information carries more weight, while older data is treated cautiously and adjusted conservatively when necessary.

Whenever information is uncertain or incomplete, we clearly distinguish between confirmed facts and reasonable inferences.

Because creator economy valuation data is not always fully public, each startup in the ranking is assigned a confidence level based on the reliability, recency and consistency of the available evidence.

Full confidence means the valuation is supported by strong and recent evidence. Strong confidence means the estimate is well supported but includes minor inference. Partial confidence means the estimate relies more heavily on indirect signals. Low confidence means available information is limited or inconsistent.

When confidence is lower, we take a more conservative approach by widening the valuation range. This helps reflect the uncertainty and increases the probability that the true valuation falls within the estimated range.

This reflects how we conduct all our research, including the work behind our report covering the creator economy.

In a world where LLMs hallucinate and unreliable information is everywhere, our goal is simple: provide data you can trust.

If you want the full detail on a specific valuation estimate, feel free to contact us and we will gladly explain.

Finally, know that we update the dataset once per month, so come back here if you need fresh information.

Chart showing the projected CAGR of the creator economy

This chart, included in our creator economy deck, shows annual funding in creator economy startups

Who is the author of this content?

NEW MARKET PITCH TEAM

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