Komi raises $5m seed round from major music labels and celebrity users alongside VCs
Komi, an all-in-one SaaS platform purpose-built for creators, has closed a $5 million seed round led by Contour Venture Partners with multiple strategic investors participating including major music labels, Red Light Music Management, Get Engaged Media and celebrity users. High-profile angel investors include World Cup-winning soccer star Mario Gotze, Victoria Secret Angel Taylor Hill, Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett and Spotify’s Sven Ahrens.
Komi is currently invite-only but is already partnered with a range of the world’s top music artists, athletes, entertainment stars and digital creators with a combined fan following of >1 billion. Selected personalities utilizing Komi’s platform include Lizzo, Idris Elba, Addison Rae, Matthew McConaughey and Usher. The number of fans engaging with Komi pages is also growing rapidly; fan activity grew 40% MoM since go-live, and user engagement has more than doubled over the same period.
The creator economy opportunity is large and growing, with estimates putting the number of creators at over 300m in 2022 (having grown 50% YoY). Global stars and creators alike are now moguls, making money across various online and offline activities and platforms; from tours, tickets, merchandise, promoting brand deals, books, podcasts, etc. Komi makes it easy for creators and their management to consolidate all of their content and offerings via Komi’s native integrations into a single, fully-personalized “home on the internet”. Not only does this improve on the currently fragmented fan experience, but it allows creators to optimize monetization and data access. Komi’s landing page product is the first in a suite of tools that the team is currently building alongside creators and their management teams that will allow creators to better engage, manage and monetize their profile.
Lewis Crosbie, CEO of Komi, said: “Komi was built to empower creators. Millions of individuals across the world generate revenue from their online profile, but many lack the digital tool-set they need. Komi are working closely with the world's top creators and their teams to build the 'all-in-one' product suite needed to build a deeper, direct and more rewarding relationship with their audience. Whilst we are currently still invite-only, we are looking forward to opening up the platform in early 2023.”
Jordan Schwarzenberger, Host of new creator podcast, ‘UNBOXED’ and Manager of Sidemen, said: “Komi’s product is second to none in the market and they’ve been able to produce an incredibly adaptive and engaging product which provides so much value to creators, myself included now. I look forward to working with them on our UNBOXED partnership.!
With bases in LA and London and a user-base of talent and creators across the world, Komi expects further global growth in the coming months.
