- Angel investors in the creator space range from industry experts to creators themselves.
- From Karat to Canopy, these angel investors are betting on creator-economy startups.
- Insider is highlighting 11 angel investors funding startups in the creator ecosystem.
Angel investors in the creator economy largely reflect the power players that drive the industry: tech moguls, founders, talent agents, and creators themselves.
Typically high-net-worth individuals, angel investors can be crucial business partners for early-stage startups by providing capital, as well as mentorship and access to robust networks.
For later-stage startups, big-name angel investors can help act as ambassadors and advisors. For instance, Karat Financial, a credit card company that services creators, has had a handful of creator angel investors in its Series A and B raises such as gaming YouTube star Ludwig Ahgren and Facebook star Nuseir Yassin of Nas Daily.
In 2022, Karat even invited creators to participate in a “Shark Tank”-inspired event where they could invest in startups.
Karat’s own founders, too, have turned to angel investing.
“Team matters more than anything,” Eric Wei, cofounder of Karat and a former Instagram staffer, said about evaluating whether he will angel invest in a startup. “The premise can change, but if it’s a qualified team with previous experience working with creators or creating, we’ll bet on that.”
Though angel investors can be very helpful, finding them can be daunting, especially for a first-time founder.
“Form personal connections and try and shoot your shot,” said Ayomi Samaraweera, founder of creator support platform Canopy. “I’m constantly sliding into people’s LinkedIn DMs — and that’s honestly been a great help for me, whether it’s finding investors, finding mentors, finding sponsors.”
Unlike bringing on venture capital firms or other institutional investors, “there’s not five rounds of calls and meetings and diligence,” Samaraweera said. Angel investors instead are able to invest their own dollars directly into a company at their own pace.
Who are the most influential angel investors in the creator economy in 2023?
Insider is highlighting 11 angel investors who have backed creator-focused startups between 2022 and 2023. This list was determined by Insider based on our reporting and the nominations that we received. We considered factors like the investor’s relative focus, number of investments in the space, and impact on the creator industry as a whole.
Here are 11 angel investors funding the creator economy in 2023:
Note: The angel investors are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
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