In 2021, Breakr, a platform that brings together record labels, artists and brands with social media influencers to spearhead their online campaigns, raised $4.2 million in a seed round led by Slow Ventures.
Since then, TechCrunch reported the platform has brought on more than 30,000 influencers and acquired over $3.5 million in creator transactions. The platform is taking things to the next level, with plans to tap into other markets like film and television.
According to Tech Crunch, Breakr has garnered an additional $1.9 million, having a valuation of $20 million.
Slow Ventures also handled the additional round of funds, which the platform plans on using for hiring and product development. Some of the world’s most significant investors, like Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, former TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, Complex founder Rich Antoniello and others, are in the Breakr business.
Though the platform’s most recent funding round was on the lower end, the creator economy is still a force to be reckoned with; Goldman Sachs believes the total addressable market for the economy will be worth up to $480 billion by 2027.
Players in media and music are paying attention to Breakr, too. Def Jam, Samsung, Billboard, Rolling Loud, Live Nation, Meta, Tidal, Epic, Kit Kat, P&G, Celsius, Mountain Dew and White Claw are some labels and brands using the platform to find influencers for their campaigns. Artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Future, Rick Ross, Gunna, JID, Sleepy Hallow, Ozzy Ozbourne, Black Pink, Young Thug, Kanye West and more are also on Breakr, along with Nas, who is also an investor in the platform.
Breakr isn’t the only app that makes connecting influencers, brands and labels easier. But what sets Breakr apart is the programmatic opportunity it offers users.
“Breakr wants to be the Google Ad Words, powered by creators,” Breakr co-founder Anthony Brown told TechCrunch. “We believe that with underlying audience data, mass liquidity and intelligence capabilities, it should be as easy to come into Breakr and spend $15,000 as it is to set it and forget it on Google.”
Breakr’s success, according to Brown, is about the relationships it fosters.
“The creator economy, especially in music, is rapidly evolving with a shift towards direct, curated and scalable relationships between digital marketers and creators. Traditional management tools are becoming obsolete, paving the way for more efficient, relationship-focused technologies. These include platforms that allow easy distribution of personalized content and offers to creators, moving away from high-cost, short-term campaigns. This trend towards ongoing, evergreen marketing is proving effective, emphasizing the importance of sustained engagement over one-off interactions,” he explained to TechCrunch.
