Creator growth platform Nuggit has launched a £5m Creator Support Fund aimed at helping UK-based YouTube creators scale their businesses through investment and operational support, as the company looks to address what it sees as a gap in financing for the creator economy.
The fund is designed for creators who have reached a stage where they need additional capital and business support to grow, while allowing them to retain ownership of their IP and channels rather than selling equity or assets.
The launch comes as the UK creator economy continues to expand. According to Oxford Economics, YouTube creators contributed £2.2bn to the UK economy and supported 45,000 jobs in 2024, while Goldman Sachs Research has projected the global creator economy could be worth $450bn by 2027.
Johnny Freeland, founder and CEO of Nuggit, said: “We’re seeing the creator economy continue to mature with more recognition of the value of a creator’s IP and the sector’s economic importance. However, the financial and operational infrastructure around it simply hasn’t kept pace.
Freeland added: “The paradox is that successful creators build their channels by being incredibly self-reliant and resourceful. However, at a certain point this becomes a limitation – many reach a plateau, constrained by resources, time and expertise. Creators are like any business owner or entrepreneur, where investment and support at the right time can turbocharge growth. Without it, many will fail to reach their full potential.
According to Freeland, financing for all but the very largest creators has typically been poorly structured and difficult to access. “The primary option has been the sale of their channel or IP, which isn’t a solution for creators looking to fund growth while retaining their independence. The key is providing creators with end-to-end growth support, breaking them free from the hamster wheel of being a one-person operation trying to do everything within self-funded constraints.”
The Creator Support Fund builds on Nuggit’s existing Creator Operating System, which the company says has supported more than 33 YouTube creators. Its roster includes Arsenal fan channel AFTV, food and travel creator Only Scrans and lifestyle and family creator Anna Saccone (pictured).
According to Nuggit, creators using the platform have achieved median revenue growth of 29% in under a year, while six creators have moved into full-time content creation with the company’s support.
Alongside funding, Nuggit offers strategic and operational services including audience growth strategy, capital deployment advice and commercial support for brand partnerships. Nuggit is also raising investment to expand its AI-powered financing and analytics platform and plans to grow its Creator Operating System into the US and European markets.
Further reading on this subject: Raising The Stakes
