Creator economy pioneer Whalar Group has secured new strategic investment from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, The Fast and the Furious producer Neal H. Moritz and e-commerce company Shopify. Reports in outlets such as Bloomberg suggest that this latest tranche of financing means the company is now valued at $400m.
Whalar Group said it will use the money to help its roster of 300 cross-platform creators secure brand deals, collaborate with Hollywood and launch their own businesses. Co-CEO & co-founder Neil Waller said the next era of the creator economy is here, and it belongs to “creators becoming the architects of a new wave of entertainment and media empires.” He added: “This investment validates that we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible. We’re doubling down on building infrastructure that lets creators operate like major entertainment companies, but with the agility to rapidly adopt new ways of thinking and creating that give them a competitive advantage.”
Unveiling the news, Whalar told Bloomberg News that it has paid out $300 million to its roster of creators since it was founded in 2016. Last year, the company acquired UK-based talent management company Sixteenth. At the time, the two parties to the transaction said the deal would establish one of the world’s leading 360° creator talent management companies – in the process unlocking opportunities for talent and nurturing authentic partnerships with the world’s leading brands.
