Komi, a digital storefront for content creators and celebrities, today announced its public launch along with new features, including the ability to sell products across multiple online stores in one place, on-page checkout functionality, marketing tools and more.
The company also announced its $12 million Series A round, led by VC investors RTP, Third Prime, Antler, E& Capital, as well as Sony Music, Live Nation and Laffitte Management Group. The funding will help expand its product suite and grow its U.S.-based team. Overall, Komi has raised $17 million in a little over a year.
Komi first launched in 2021 as a landing page tool for influencers, musicians and athletes, among other talent, to promote music albums, YouTube videos, podcast episodes, merch drops, tour dates, meet-and-greet opportunities, social media accounts and more. Users can integrate all their content and products across TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, YouTube, Twitch and Shopify.
Now open to everyone, Komi wants to cement itself as “the all-in-one platform for creators to grow their businesses,” Lewis Crosbie, co-founder and CEO of Komi, told TechCrunch. As part of the revamp, the company is focusing on advancing its commerce and community-building offerings.
Komi’s new commerce features will allow fans to browse merchandise from their favorite creator/celeb across multiple stores, add products to a single cart and checkout all on the same page. For instance, Lizzo – a popular musician and Komi user– operates an online store for her tour merch as well as a shapewear line called Yitty. Previously, fans would have to go to separate websites to browse, shop and complete purchases.
Having a blended digital storefront of sorts could also be helpful for content creators that benefit from affiliate marketplaces like Amazon’s influencer program or influencers that run multiple Shopify stores. The Amazon storefront integration will roll out shortly after launch.
As social commerce is predicted to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, Crosbie added that Komi is working on a way to connect brands and creators so they can promote products via the platform.
Image Credits: Komi
Additionally, Komi is launching custom-built data capture tools, which involve providing fans with benefits that can be unlocked if they provide information such as their email or phone number.
“Komi’s community-building [initiative] revolves around interesting ways that we can empower creators to capture data,” Crosbie explained. “We’re trying to give instant benefits to fans… I understand that if I give you my email or phone number, I will unlock something special at this moment in time.”
The company also mentioned that it’s rolling out “deeper” marketing tools but declined to say what these were. Komi already includes backend tools that allow users to gather total views, earnings, clicks and other data.
Since its seed round that TechCrunch covered in December, Komi claims to have partnered with creators and brands from six continents who have a combined audience of more than two billion followers. Notable users that recently joined the platform include Usher, Meghan Trainor and Jessica Alba, among others.
Note that the platform costs $9.99 per month or $96 per year. New users receive a 30-day free trial.
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