Agentio Raises $40M to Expand Creator Marketplace

Growth in Sponsored YouTube Content Fuels Agentio's $40 Million Funding

Recent data indicates a significant surge in the popularity of sponsored videos on YouTube. Views have increased by 28% compared to the previous year, while the number of sponsored videos themselves has risen by 54% in the first half of 2025, as reported by Tubefilter.

Alongside this growth, advertising expenditure channeled through creator networks is consistently climbing. In certain instances, it is even projected to surpass spending on traditional media outlets.

Agentio Secures Series B Funding

Capitalizing on these favorable trends, Agentio, a company specializing in connecting brands with YouTube creators for sponsored content, has successfully completed a third round of funding, raising $40 million.

This Series B round was spearheaded by Forerunner, a venture capital firm focused on consumer products, with contributions from existing investors including Benchmark, Craft Ventures, AlleyCorp, Antler, and Starting Line. The investment brings Agentio’s total funding to $56 million, resulting in a company valuation of $340 million.

Founding and Expansion

Agentio was established in 2023 by Arthur Leopold, formerly the president of Cameo, and Jonathan Meyers, a former Spotify engineer who previously led the company’s automated content marketing initiatives.

Since its previous funding round in November 2024, the startup has experienced a fivefold increase in growth.

Demonstrated Campaign Success

The platform has demonstrated tangible benefits for brands utilizing its services. For instance, Bombas, a brand specializing in socks and apparel, achieved a 5.3x improvement in return on ad spend and a 90% rate of acquiring new customers through Agentio campaigns, compared to other video advertising platforms.

Furthermore, brands that typically require over six months to allocate their advertising budgets on Meta and Google have been able to do so in a matter of months via Agentio, while simultaneously realizing improved returns.

Leveraging AI for Creator Partnerships

“Historically, a major challenge for brands was establishing partnerships with creators at scale,” explained Leopold in an interview with TechCrunch. “Our core belief, since the company’s inception, has been to utilize AI to automate the ad purchasing process, maximizing outcomes for brands. With the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content, brands are recognizing the unparalleled trust that creators hold with their audiences.”

Financial Impact on Creators

While specific figures were not disclosed, Agentio has reported distributing tens of millions of dollars to creators. Over the past year, creators joining the platform have seen their brand partnership earnings more than double within a six-month timeframe.

The time it takes for creators to receive their first bid has also dramatically decreased, from 45 to 50 days last year to less than a day currently. This improvement is a direct result of the platform’s increased scale, facilitating quicker matching and higher earnings potential.

Product Development and AI Integration

Agentio’s product development efforts have focused on integrating reasoning models and multimodal understanding capabilities. This has led to the creation of an AI-powered campaign manager, assisting marketers in crafting effective campaigns – a feature now considered standard across the advertising landscape.

Last year, the company launched an AI-driven feature designed to align brands with creators who meet specific brand safety criteria. This year saw the introduction of an AI-powered content review tool, capable of assessing creator submissions to ensure they adhere to campaign guidelines and maintain safety standards.

Streamlining Campaign Management

“Previously, brands were required to manually review every creator video to ensure compliance with campaign briefs,” stated Meyers. “Our agent now automates these checks, saving brands valuable time and enabling them to rapidly deploy and scale campaigns.”

He further noted that the use of AI and enhanced profiling of both brands and creators has allowed the company to broaden its scope, connecting brands with creators who might have been overlooked in the past. For example, a health supplement brand might now be matched with outdoor lifestyle creators, in addition to traditional fitness and wellness influencers.

Expanding Beyond YouTube

While initially focused on YouTube, Agentio is currently in beta testing with Meta platforms, specifically utilizing video formats like Reels. The company will facilitate connections between creators and brands, leveraging Meta partnership ads that are not displayed in the main feed.

The company highlighted that many creators on Agentio already maintain a presence on platforms like Instagram, simplifying the scaling of campaigns. Plans are in place to support additional platforms, including TikTok and Snap, in 2026.

Investor Confidence

Eurie Kim, managing partner at Forerunner, shared that the firm had been closely monitoring Agentio for over a year, building a relationship with the founders and introducing them to key brands within their portfolio.

“We’ve been tracking Agentio for over a year, fostering a relationship with Arthur and Jonathan by connecting them with some of our leading brands, who quickly became customers and advocates for the platform,” Kim explained to TechCrunch via email. “The ability to unlock multiple channels signaled to us that Agentio has the potential to become the AI-powered media planning platform of the future, starting with the most valuable marketing asset: creators.”