The creator investor: a compelling alternative to the creator product line

The most successful creators are not just creative storytellers – they’re commercially minded entrepreneurs. The most sophisticated operators in this field recognise that launching their own product lines can be a lucrative and reliable revenue stream. However, with most creator products struggling to gain traction, could equity partnerships represent a compelling alternative for both brand and creator? 

Creators recognise the value in drawing their audiences offline…

For many creators, their content now serves primarily as a customer acquisition engine – the aim is not only to engage audiences, but to lead them down the funnel towards a product purchase. This is because an over-dependence on brand deals and direct payment from platforms poses a risk: at any moment, platforms could shut down, change their algorithms, or become subject to new and restrictive regulations. Shifting their audience offline to purchase real-life, tangible products allows creators to diversify their revenues, build their brand, and deepen connections with engaged fans and followers. 

The success of this strategy, however, depends on execution: launching slowly and with intention, aligning the product with the creator's brand in a way that feels authentic, and creating high-quality goods that buyers will continually re-purchase. Some of the most successful creators have nailed this formula: Grace Beverley’s TALA athleisure brand, KSI’s PRIME Hydration drinks, and Jess Hunt’s REFY makeup line are all now established companies that have grown beyond their creator. 

…but many struggle to make this work in reality

Successfully launching a product line is not easy for creators. Like startup companies more broadly, the majority struggle to survive past their first few years. Often, creators are launching undifferentiated products into over-saturated markets (energy drinks, makeup lines, skincare brands). Many are young and their expertise typically lies more in creative storytelling than in building businesses. New creator-founded products often face supply chain issues, quality problems, and PR disasters. TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio launched numerous products – including footwear, snacks, clothing, skincare – but most of them have now been discontinued. The offerings felt misaligned with their brands, the sheer volume of products fractured their audiences, and PR disasters (such as the sisters dressing as Walmart employees to promote their popcorn) were extremely damaging.  

For creators and brands alike, however, there may be a shortcut to success.  

Could buying equity stakes in existing brands be the solution? 

Brand deals and creator-founded product lines are two prominent revenue streams in the creator economy. There are early signs that these two avenues of revenue generation are starting to converge into a compelling middle ground: Creators are now buying equity stakes in existing businesses that have already reached maturity. Alix Earle secured an equity stake in Poppi in 2024, which she cashed out when the brand was bought by PepsiCo in 2025. 

More recently, Cat Goetze (@CatGPT), an AI education creator, bought an equity stake in Creator Management company Smooth Media. More than just a brand deal, this represented the next phase in a relationship that had built trust and brand alignment over several years. Smooth Media, for their part, recognised the value in Goetze for her expertise and business brains, rather than leveraging her purely as a marketing engine. Steven Bartlett, who built his brand around entrepreneurialism and is now recognised as one of the world’s most successful creator investors, is laying out the playbook. His recent announcement of a joint venture investment of $400 million into helping creators grow their businesses (per Business Insider) signals that creators are expanding beyond the creative field and into the business world.   

In the best cases, this represents a long-term commitment for brands from creators who are both personally and financially invested in the company’s success. For creators, this represents an opportunity to leverage the relationships and business infrastructure of an established brand – removing the obstacles that come with launching a new product line themselves.