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7 creator startups that had the biggest VidCon presences, wooing attendees with parties, swag, and more

Amanda Perelli
2023-06-29T12:45:49Z
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Jellysmack
Business startup Jellysmack hosted a creator lounge. Jellysmack
  • Dozens of startups showed up to VidCon, the conference for creators and their fans.
  • These startups set up events and parties as a way to further establish their presence in the space. 
  • Here are the top startups that went big at this year's creator conference in Anaheim, CA.

Many companies attended VidCon in Anaheim, CA, last week, hosting exclusive events to woo creators and form relationships with the wider community.  

Gaming giant Roblox and course platform Thinkific hosted invite-only dinners and parties. Talent management firms and agencies like Viral Nation and Whalar sponsored VidCon and had dedicated rooms for networking. And at VidCon's offsite activities, held at the Hyatt Regency hotel, creator companies like Collab, YouTube, and Jellysmack held exclusive creator lounges — open to those with access to the hotel — which variously featured food, body paint, and an AI photo booth.

Beyond the convention center panels and meet-ups, startups made waves with creators at nearby restaurants, hotels, and bars where brands, agencies, and startups hosted invite-only mixers and parties.  

This year's event felt different than in years past, as the lines blurred between creator and fan, and many attendees were there to learn rather than fan over the biggest names.

The main theme of VidCon 2023 was learning how to become a successful creator, and startups capitalized by showing up in creative ways.

Here were seven top creator startups with the largest presences at this year's VidCon:

Jellysmack was seen throughout the convention.

VidCon
Jellysmack hosted a creator lounge at the Hyatt Regency hotel. Jellysmack

The creator economy startup Jellysmack was one of the most prominent companies at VidCon this year. The company sponsored the event, and its logo was plastered throughout the conference, from the event hall to the badges worn by creators, panelists, and attendees. 

Aside from branding, Jellysmack also made itself known at the Hyatt Regency hotel, where the company hosted a creator lounge that included a bar, games, merch, and an artist creating candy sculptures.

Jellysmack provides upfront investment to license creator back catalogs, and works with creators to edit down and redistribute their content on platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to maximize ad revenue.

Read more about Jellysmack:

Creator startup Jellysmack is investing $25 million in the video catalogs of kids and family influencers in partnership with Pocket.watch

Karat and Fourthwall brought creators together for an invite-only mixer.

Fourthwall cofounders Eli Valentin, Will Baumann, and Walker Williams pose for a photo on couches.
(L to R) Fourthwall cofounders Eli Valentin, Will Baumann, and Walker Williams. Fourthwall.

Fintech startup Karat and merch company Fourthwall hosted a mixer for creators and industry professionals to network.

The invite-only event was held at a rooftop bar and dozens of creators and insiders met and exchanged Instagram handles.

Read more about Fourthwall and Karat: 

A startup helping creators make money from ecommerce, memberships, and more has launched out of private beta

Fintech startup Karat has launched a new charge card designed for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok stars

Creator news site Tubefilter hosted its annual kickoff party, sponsored by Spring by Amaze.

VidCon
Indoor go-kart racing center, K1 Speed. Amanda Perelli/Insider

Creator news blog Tubefilter hosted its annual VidCon kickoff event the night before the convention began, at the indoor go-kart racing center, K1 Speed. The event was sponsored by merchandise company Spring by Amaze.

The event featured an open bar, DJ, food trucks, photo booth, and custom merch.

Read more about Spring by Amaze:

Creator merch startup Spring, which once eyed an IPO, has been acquired by software company Amaze

Kajabi showed off top earners to sway creators to its platform.

Sean Kim, chief product officer and president at Kajabi.
Sean Kim, chief product officer and president at Kajabi. Sean Kim.

Startup Kajabi had a booth for creators to learn more about the company's online course development and business platform.

The company also hosted a reception for attendees to network with successful Kajabi creators, like YouTuber and choreographer Matt Steffanina.

Read more about Kajabi:

Creators are making big money teaching online courses. Here's how one made $1 million in sales.

The Publish Press handed out physical copies of its creator newsletter.

VidCon
Lia Haberman

YouTube creators Colin and Samir, who have over 1 million subscribers, made a splash at VidCon by giving out physical copies of their creator newsletter, The Publish Press. 

Launched two years ago, the newsletter has over 100,000 subscribers. At VidCon, The Publish Press gave out 500 physical copies.



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