Norby Raises $3.8M to Revolutionize Creator Marketing

The Evolution from Mainstream Live to Norby

In the initial stages of the pandemic, Nick Gerard, Steven Layne, and Samantha Safer Valentine achieved success with their venture, Mainstream Live. Prior to the onset of Zoom-related exhaustion, they established a platform and newsletter dedicated to curating live virtual events. This service also provided users with text-based notifications to remind them of upcoming events.

Gerard explained to TechCrunch that the initial challenge they addressed was the difficulty people faced in discovering engaging online activities. He noted that they quickly recognized the potential of their concept. The site rapidly gained traction, attracting tens of thousands of users seeking online experiences to combat feelings of isolation.

From Toolkit to Platform

Following its viral spread, the Mainstream Live team received numerous inquiries regarding the tools they utilized for event discovery and community engagement. As they developed additional functionalities for their own use, they ultimately decided to share their custom toolkit with other community leaders and content creators, allowing them to implement similar tools under different branding.

“The demand for it continued to grow,” Gerard stated. “We reached a point where we were managing multiple instances for various partners.” Consequently, the team discontinued the original community and focused on the increasing interest in their toolset, leading to the creation of Norby.

Norby's All-in-One Solution

The newly formed company consolidated all the requested features into a single offering. This included a link-in-bio service, referral tracking, SMS messaging, ticketing, and other essential marketing tools for sustaining a thriving brand or creator community.

Gerard emphasized that the Norby team has consistently “responded to user needs.” The company has now secured $3.8 million in seed funding, spearheaded by Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture fund. This investment will facilitate team expansion and the scaling of their comprehensive marketing platform.

Bungalow Capital, BBG Ventures, Charge VC and Notation also contributed to this funding round.

A Consolidated Marketing Suite

Norby’s core concept is to integrate services like LinkTree, Eventbrite, and MailChimp into a unified, cost-effective, subscription-based service. This provides a streamlined solution for managing online communities, rather than relying on a costly and complex collection of individual tools. Norby is particularly well-suited for small businesses and independent entrepreneurs, with the majority of its clientele consisting of teams with fewer than ten employees.

The creator tool suite operates on a purely subscription basis, avoiding fees commonly associated with platforms like Eventbrite.

Pricing and Customer Base

For brands, the service begins at $20 monthly, with plans for a $5-per-month option for individual users currently in development. There is no free tier available, and Gerard believes customers will appreciate the time and cost savings offered by the bundled package. “We’ve observed that individuals invest significant amounts in these tools,” Gerard explained. “We can reduce your expenses and streamline your workflow.”

The Norby team actively engages with creators and small businesses. Their customer base includes diverse entities, ranging from sexual wellness companies to advice columnists and activists – essentially anyone requiring online community management. Early adopters include Sad Girls Club, EVRYMAN, and Allbodies.

Organic Growth and Future Vision

The company is experiencing steady, organic growth, onboarding new users through a waitlist and invite system. They provide personalized product demonstrations in group settings. “A notable trend we’ve observed is that new customers initially subscribe for one or two features, then discover and adopt additional functionalities like SMS messaging,” Gerard noted.

Looking ahead, Norby positions itself as a champion for creators, offering a counterbalance to the influence of large platforms. Gerard envisions empowering creators to maintain ownership of their communities, serving as a counterweight to dominant platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Norby’s ultimate goal is to facilitate sustainable livelihoods for content creators and community builders online. “The current landscape is characterized by a small number of highly successful individuals, with limited opportunities for others,” Gerard stated, referencing the ideas of Li Jin regarding the development of a creator middle class.

Maintaining creator “ownership” of their communities is a priority that major platforms are unlikely to embrace. However, these platforms are increasingly recognizing the power creators possess – including the ability to migrate their content and audiences elsewhere.

“The current environment presents a unique opportunity, as the future over the next five to ten years remains uncertain,” Gerard concluded. “These favorable conditions do not arise frequently.”