Superjoi raises $2.5 million for fan funding platform

Creator economy startup Superjoi raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding to construct a platform that helps creators build and finance projects with their fans.

Why it matters: Creator economy startups are booming. Superjoi sees potential in helping fans better connect with their favorite creators — and both financially benefitting from the relationship.

• "We call Superjoi 'liquidity with love,' as getting funded by your superfans is the best source of financing," CEO Chris Knight tells Axios.

Details: The funding is from Ascension, QED Investors, Systema VC, Tomahawk and Modern Venture Partners. Other participants include senior leadership from Shopify, Revolut and Launch House.

• Knight, CTO Piotr Wolanski and CPO Sören Creutzburg founded Superjoi in September 2021 and are part of Launch House, a startup accelerator.
• Superjoi has 14 full-time employees, with plans to exceed 30 by the end of the year. Former TikTok exec Mauricio Costa-Neres recently joined as head of creator partnerships.
• The funding has gone toward those new hires and will be used for marketing, Knight says.

How it works: Superjoi's business model is taking revenue cuts from successfully funded creator content campaigns.

• Superjoi launches a closed beta this month and plans to open up more widely this summer.
• "Superjoi v1.0 is like Kickstarter meets Reddit, where superfans can fund and co-create content with their favorite creators and be rewarded for being in a creator's top 100 fans," Knight says.
• The second version will allow superfans to invest in creators and earn a percentage of the revenue from campaigns.