More and More Influencers Are Launching Their Own VC Funds — Here’s Why

Kristin Snyder

Kristin Snyder is dot.LA's 2022/23 Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.

three big influencers on tiktok
@DixieDamelio, @NoahBeck, @Jaclynrjohnson

From brand deals to creator funds, influencers are finding new ways to make their personal brand a business enterprise. Their latest method? Venture capital.

TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio made waves earlier this year, when they started their fund. So did TikTok stars Noah Beck, Josh Richards and Griffin Johnson with the launch of Animal Capital—a $15 million fund targeting pre-seed and series A-stage startups. Up to this point, the fund has invested in 26 companies, including the plant-based chicken company Daring Chicken and the event partnership platform Recess.


Animal Capital managing partner Marshall Sandman says turning to venture capital allows influencers to plan for their economic future—one that isn’t reliant on internet fads. While Sandman says many influencers are “cash heavy” thanks to large brand deals, investing offers one method to grow that existing wealth.

“Traditionally, there’s a pretty tight lifecycle on being an influencer,” Sandman says.

Not to mention, influencers tend to have flexible schedules, which Sandman says, allow them to create time dedicated to the fund. And influencers aren’t just writing checks. Sandman says many of them actively speak with founders and help connect them with other companies.

Actively involving influencers in the investing process is all part of the economic relationship forged by a fund like Animal Capital. While an influencer’s personal taste can sway what investments they make, Sandman says they trust him to spend their money well. In other words, each person brings something different to this partnership. Sandman provides the investing background. And influencers provide their expertise in knowing how to capture an audience.

“We each exist in our lanes,” Sandman says.

When lifestyle influencer Jaclyn Johnson first found success on Blogspot in 2008, she says monetizing content creation wasn’t as easy as it is today. That forced her to look to entrepreneurship opportunities, ultimately leading to the media company Create & Cultivate, which she sold for $22 million last year.

As she built up her business, she was also angel investing—a process she says revealed how her audience can boost a business. This led her to launch New Money Ventures to invest in female-founded businesses. Backing companies like Winnie Harlow’s skincare brand Cayskin, New Money invests in late-stage, seed or Series A rounds.

Not only has content monetization changed since she first entered the influencer world, but so has the question of ownership. Johnson says more influencers are concerned with both owning their content and finding fair brand deals since companies often lean on influencers’ audiences while not paying them fairly. As such, Johnson says investing in companies is one way for influencers to make the sponsored content they already create more beneficial.

“For these influencers, there's a major opportunity to not only get paid to promote brands but ask for a piece of ownership as well,” Johnson says.

Other VC funds have also utilized a creator’s background to invest in this space. Blake Michael was once the youngest person to be monetized on YouTube in 2009. Having spun internet fame into an acting career, Michael launched his VC firm CreatorLed to turn influencers into investors. CreatorLed’s limited partners are influencers with followings ranging from 10,000 to 20 million.

Michael says he wants to foster a network of creators in the investing space and, ultimately, “leverage the power that we all have together.”

Many creators are also trying to look beyond the traditional brand deal and toward a more fleshed-out personal brand. In the same way that Disney has its parks, films and merchandise, Michael believes influencers can create a broader legacy by adding investments on top of their content creation.

“My mission is helping creators understand that they can be so much more than a digital billboard,” Michael says. “They can help companies and founders in all aspects of business.”

Despite the benefits an influencer can bring as an investor, only some are prepared to explore venture capital. Sandman says it takes a discerning eye to determine when to take a brand deal versus when to invest money, and that judgment typically requires a team of people providing guidance. But those who are willing to find the right team have the potential to increase both their personal wealth and their social capital.

“[Influencers invest] to look smart and entrepreneurial,” Sandman says. “I think, for the most part, they do, and that's a successful relationship.”

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Billion-Dollar Milestones and Snapchat’s New Features

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

This week’s spotlight showcases LA’s thriving tech scene, featuring Snapchat’s latest feature updates and two local startups Liquid Death and Altruist, making TechCrunch’s Unicorn List for 2024.

Image Source: Snap

Snapchat’s recent fall updates bring fresh features, including a new iPhone camera shortcut for instant snaps, Halloween-inspired AI-powered Lenses, and Bitmoji costumes inspired by Mean Girls and Yellowstone. Bitmoji stickers now reflect trending Gen-Z expressions like “slay” and heart symbols for added flair in chats. Plus, the “Footsteps” feature on Snap Map allows users to track their past adventures privately, adding a nostalgic touch.

Image Source: Liquid Death

ICYMI, two LA startups joined the Unicorn Club—achieving valuations over $1 billion. Liquid Death, based in Santa Monica, is a canned water company with edgy branding and a humorous sustainability focus. Known for viral marketing and brand partnerships, it redefines bottled water as a lifestyle brand and environmental statement. In March, Liquid Death closed $67 million in strategic financing, raising its total funding to over $267 million and valuing it at $1.4 billion.

Image Source: Altruist

Altruist, a Culver City-based fintech platform, offers financial advisors streamlined tools to better serve their clients. With a user-friendly investment and account management platform, Altruist has gained strong traction in the finance world. In May, it announced a $169 million Series E funding round, bringing its total funding to over $449 million and earning a valuation of $1.5 billion.

Together, Liquid Death and Altruist exemplify LA’s capacity for innovation across diverse sectors, from lifestyle branding to fintech. Whether reshaping financial tools or redefining sustainable branding, these companies showcase LA’s unique entrepreneurial spirit. Go LA!

Check out TechCrunch’s 2024 Unicorn List here. And don’t miss Snapchat’s latest features—perfect for adding some fun, connection and maybe a few selfies this weekend!


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Freeform, a company bringing AI to metal 3D printing, raised $14M in funding from NVIDIA’s NVentures and AE Ventures to further develop its AI-powered 3D printing technology for industrial-scale production. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
  • Anthos Capital participated in a $70M Series D round for Carbon Robotics, which develops AI-powered robotics for precision agriculture, and the funding will be used to accelerate the growth of its autonomous weeding technology. - learn more
  • Anthos Capital participated in a $3.5M seed round for Plasma Network, aimed at expanding access to USDT stablecoins on the Bitcoin network, with the investment supporting the network’s growth and efforts to enhance stablecoin accessibility through the Lightning Network. - learn more

LA Exits


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      ⚖️FTC’s "Click to Cancel" Rule and Its Ripple Effect on Tech

      🔦 Spotlight

      Happy Friday Los Angeles,

      The FTC’s new “Click to Cancel” rule is shaking up subscription-based tech. Now, instead of navigating a maze of cancellation hurdles, users can cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up—with a single click. This shift is a wake-up call for SaaS, streaming, and app-based companies, where once-hidden exit options often kept users around simply because canceling was a hassle.

      The rule also requires businesses to send regular renewal reminders, ensuring customers stay informed about upcoming charges. It's more than a cancellation button—it’s about transparency and giving users control over their decisions.

      For startups, the impact goes deeper than UX adjustments. Many have relied on "dark patterns," which subtly discourage cancellations by hiding the exit. Now, companies must shift toward building genuine loyalty by delivering real value, not by complicating exits.

      While this might affect retention rates initially, it could lead to more sustainable business models that rely on satisfaction-driven loyalty. Investors may start prioritizing companies that emphasize transparent, long-term engagement over those that depend on dark patterns to maintain retention metrics.

      The rule opens the door to more ethical UX design and a truly user-centered approach across the tech industry. It may even set a precedent against manipulative design in other areas, such as privacy settings or payment methods.

      Ultimately, the “Click to Cancel” rule presents an opportunity for the tech industry to foster trust and build stronger customer relationships. Startups and established companies that embrace transparency will likely stand out as leaders in a new era of customer-centric tech, where trust—not tricky design—is what retains users.

      As the tech landscape continues to evolve, LA Tech Week 2024 offers a chance to explore these shifts in real-time. Check out the upcoming event lineups to stay informed and make the most of your time:

      For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.


      🤝 Venture Deals

      LA Companies

      • Ghost, a company supporting top brands and retailers with streamlined logistics and fulfillment solutions, raised a $40M Series C funding round led by L Catterton to fuel its continued growth and innovation. - learn more

      LA Venture Funds
      • Assembly Ventures participated in a $27M Series A round for Monogoto, a provider of software-defined connectivity solutions that enable secure, cloud-based IoT and cellular network management on a global scale. - learn more
      • Angeleno Group participated in a $32M Series C round for REsurety, a company that recently launched an innovative clean energy marketplace aimed at providing better financial and operational insights to support renewable energy transactions. - learn more

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        🌴🧑‍💻 Your Guide to LA Tech Week 2024

        🔦 Spotlight

        Happy Friday Los Angeles,

        As many of you know, LA Tech Week is right around the corner, kicking off next Monday October 14th bringing together founders, creatives, investors, and engineers for a week of immersive events, panels, and socials across the city. From blockchain and AI to biotech and design, LA Tech Week is a chance to dive into the ideas shaping today’s technology landscape.


        What to Look Forward To

        Insights from Visionary Leaders: Hear firsthand from industry trailblazers as they share stories, challenges, and key lessons from their experiences. Expect fresh perspectives on AI, venture capital, biotech, and the ethical questions around emerging technologies.

        Interactive Panels: This week isn’t about watching from the sidelines; it’s about engaging directly with the tech community. Participate in hands-on panels discussing everything from startup scaling to ethical AI, with honest insights from those actively shaping these fields.

        Networking Mixers & Social Events: Meet and connect with founders, VCs, developers, designers, and fellow techies across LA. Rooftop mixers, lunch meetups, and creative gatherings offer the perfect chance to spark ideas and collaborate.

        Plan your week with the daily lineup, organized by location for easy navigation:

        For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

        Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!!


        🤝 Venture Deals

        LA Companies

        • Clout Kitchen, a Los Angeles and Manila based startup, has raised $4.45M in seed funding, co-led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV’s Surge, to develop AI-powered digital twins, which enables gaming creators to produce realistic virtual avatars for content and fan engagement. - learn more
        • MeWe, a privacy-focused social media platform, has raised an initial $6M in Series B funding led by McCourt Global to support Web3 integration and expand its decentralized network for 20 millions users. - learn more

          LA Venture Funds
          • EGB Capital participated in a $10M Series A funding round for MiLaboratories, which develops software that enables biologists to independently analyze complex genomic data, accelerating research and discovery in fields like drug development. - learn more
          • Crosscut Ventures participated in the $13.75M seed round for Airloom Energy, a company focused on developing airborne wind energy technology to harness high-altitude winds, with plans to accelerate a pilot project in Wyoming. - learn more
          • Overture VC participated in a $5.5M Seed funding round for Molg Inc., a company developing robotics and software for circular manufacturing, designed to disassemble electronics efficiently and recover valuable materials to reduce e-waste and support sustainable production. - learn more


            LA Exits

            • Options MD, a Los Angeles based telemedicine platform that provides care for people suffering from severe and treatment-resistant mental illness, is set to be acquired by Resilience Lab, an AI-driven provider focused on enhancing mental health care access. - learn more

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