Creatively Raises $5M to Empower Creative Professionals

Creatively Secures $5 Million in Seed Funding

Creatively, a platform designed to connect designers, photographers, illustrators, and other creative professionals with employment opportunities, has announced a successful $5 million seed funding round.

The company was established by Stacey Bendet, also the founder and CEO of fashion brand Alicia + Olivia, and Joe Indriolo, who currently holds the position of Creatively’s chief product officer.

Platform Features and Growth

Upon its launch last May, CEO Greg Gittrich highlighted the platform’s emphasis on portfolio customization. This allows creatives to present their work in uniquely tailored formats.

Employers can directly post creative job openings on the platform. Completed projects undertaken through Creatively can then be integrated into the artist’s portfolio, showcasing their experience.

Currently, Creatively boasts a community of over 125,000 creative professionals.

More than 650 companies, including prominent names like HBO, Tom Ford, SKIMS, Nickelodeon, Ro, CNN, and The Gap, are actively utilizing the platform for recruitment purposes.

Diverse Talent and Community Engagement

Gittrich noted the remarkable diversity of talent found on the platform, encompassing photographers such as Emmanuel Sanchez Monsalve and Derrick Ofosu Boateng.

The platform also features creative directors like Kameron Mack and Eric Alexander Franklin, alongside illustrators and animators including Tara Jacoby and Mulan Fu.

Visual artists like King Kesia and Bryane Broadie, and designers such as KidSuper and Aziza-Abdullah Nicole, are also represented within the Creatively community.

The Creatively Classes initiative has also gained significant traction.

Creatively Classes and Future Development

Initially conceived as a one-off virtual event, the popularity of the classes, and the high level of engagement from instructors, led to its evolution into a monthly series.

These classes are led by experienced creatives within the community and are designed to provide members with the skills, mentorship, and inspiration needed for professional success.

Investment Details and Strategic Partnerships

The seed round was spearheaded by Link Ventures. Previous investors include Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company and Shari Redstone’s Advancit Capital.

This investment also establishes a connection with Cogo Labs, Link Ventures’ incubator, which will focus on enhancing revenue generation and reducing customer acquisition costs for Creatively.

Industry Recognition

Link Ventures Managing Director Lisa Dolan characterized Creatively as “LinkedIn for the creative world” in a recent statement.

Dolan emphasized the current market need for a platform like Creatively, noting that businesses are actively seeking direct access to creative talent but often lack the necessary networks and resources.

She further highlighted the platform’s impressive growth within its first year and expressed excitement about joining the Creatively team.