– Video is at the heart of how people use the internet today, and creators are at the heart of what is being made and watched on video.
– Today, a startup that has built a platform that helps them produce and monetize their work is announcing a big round of funding that underscores just how lucrative and big the creator economy has become.
– StreamElements, which provides production and analytics tools to people who livestream and make video-on-demand for platforms like Amazon’s Twitch, YouTube and Facebook, has raised $100m in funding — money that it will be using to continue building out the tools on its platform, to do more in on-demand alongside a big business in livestreaming and for marketing, specifically to bring more creators to its platform, which is already being used by 1.1m people.

– #paid is a creator marketing platform that helps brands and creators collaborate to create authentic content.
– The company has raised $4m in funding.
– Sands Capital, a long-term investor in leading innovative businesses globally, led the round with a $9 million investment.
– Ascential (who own Cannes Lions), Vanedge, and BDC Capital participated in this round and eCommerce experts Arati Sharma, Web Smith, and Nik Sharma. Notable content creators and celebrities have also joined as new investors, including Murda Beatz, Jasmine Lorimer, Ryan Millier, Alen Palander.
– This funding will be used to continue developing its platform offering and market expansion to new digital channels.

– Belay, an Atlanta, GA-based virtual staffing company that offers assistants, bookkeepers, social media strategists, and website specialists services, received a strategic investment from private equity firm Tenex.
– The amount of the deal was not disclosed.
– The investment will enable the company to continue to expand operations and its business reach.

– Beacons, a business platform for social media creators, announced a $6m seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Li Jin’s Atelier Ventures, The Chainsmokers’ Mantis Fund, Night Ventures, Brazilian esports organization LOUD and Crush Music.
– The new capital will fuel the company’s rapid growth by accelerating product development and hiring. Beacons already supports more than a quarter of a million creative brands, with over 3,000 new accounts established daily.
– Creators and organizations using Beacons for link-in-bio include: Sia, Russell Brand, Green Day, Katie Thurston (the next Bachelorette), and Barstool Sports.

– Aryeo, a Boston, MA-based proptech startup offering a platform to manage, syndicate and utilize content in the real estate industry, raised $3.65m in seed funding.
– The round was led by Hyperplane VC and Amplo with participation from Contrary, Jon Oringer, founder of Shutterstock, and Bill Clerico, founder of WePay.
– The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations and business reach.