Influence.co, an online professional networking platform for influencers and creaters, announced the closing of its $3 million seed funding round led by Bonfire Ventures.
The remote based US company said it will use the new funds to scale its community and launch a media division focused on the influencer and creater lifestyle.
“The influencer economy is disrupting everything from how we make purchasing decisions as consumers to how and where we consume media. Like all professionals, influencers need resources, support and opportunities to help them learn and grow,” said Influence.co co-founder and CEO Niel Robertson.
Launched in 2016 by three co-founders (Ryan Angilly, Niel Robertson and Jeff Smith), Influence.co lets influencers, creators and businesses share their work, learn from one another and seek collaborations. The company said it has over 175,000 members, of which 35,000 are businesses, signed up with their own professional profiles.
With many Gen Z’s exploring how being an influencer or creator can be a viable occupation, there is a demand for traditional professional tools to be translated into this new domain. Influence.co provides support to help influencers and creators learn and grow. “They have always focused on building a lasting relationship with the influencers and creators”, says Mark Mullen, managing director at Bonfire Ventures. “We think that’s a valuable asset to have as the number of influencers is growing exponentially on a global basis.”
According to the company, it has previously raised $1.4 million dollars from a number of angels including internet marketing expert Neil Patel and digital agency scion Alex Bogusky, bringing Influence.co total funding raised to date to $4.4 million.
The newest round included participation from Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Ventures, ACT Capital Partners, Alumni Ventures Group, and Next 10 Ventures.