A few years ago, building a business as a YouTuber felt like the wild west. Now? It’s starting to look like Wall Street.
Everywhere you look, big-name investors are pouring millions into creator-owned brands. They’re not just buying ads—they’re buying in.
That’s a signal. A big one.
And if you’re a creator, it means the business world is taking you seriously. Maybe it’s time you did too.
Let’s start with the simple reason: audience = opportunity.
If you’ve built trust with thousands (or millions) of people online, you already have something traditional startups pay a fortune for—attention.
And attention is the new oil.
Smart investors see that. So, they’re betting on creators who can turn their fanbase into a fan-powered business.
Here are a few examples of firms backing U.S.-based creator-owned brands since 2020:
The Chernin Group (TCG) helped turn Doug DeMuro’s YouTube car reviews into Cars & Bids, a car auction site that’s now done over $230 million in vehicle sales.
UTA Ventures backed Chamberlain Coffee from YouTuber Emma Chamberlain. It now sells in major retailers like Sprouts and GoPuff, and recently raised $7 million.
Slow Ventures, founded by early Facebook employees, sees creators as the next generation of entrepreneurs. They’ve invested in companies launched by or for creators, including rumored ties to MrBeast’s Feastables.
That’s not speculation. That’s capital. Real dollars. Real deals.
The investor interest falls into three big buckets:
These are platforms like:
Substack (for newsletters)
Patreon (for memberships)
Beehiiv (email publishing)
They don’t make content themselves—they help you make money from yours.
These tools are booming. But they’re not what Octo focuses on.
Think podcasts, newsletters, YouTube networks, or streaming shows that live outside the big Hollywood machine.
Examples:
Pat McAfee’s sports show (which sold to ESPN)
MeatEater, a Netflix hunting series that expanded into e-commerce and podcasts
These are full-fledged media businesses, powered by personality.
Now we’re talking. This is where Octo lives.
It’s creators launching real brands:
Feastables by MrBeast (snacks)
Cars & Bids by Doug DeMuro (car auctions)
Chamberlain Coffee by Emma Chamberlain (beverages)
100 Thieves by Nadeshot (esports + apparel)
And plenty more on the way
These are actual businesses—not just merch with your name slapped on it.
They’ve got real revenue, teams, and investors.
A few reasons:
You’ve already solved the hardest part of launching a brand—getting people to care.
Traditional startups burn through cash trying to earn attention. You’ve already earned it.
With an audience, you don’t need to pay for every customer. That makes your margins better. And investors love good margins.
Creators are people. People trust people more than logos.
When the face of the brand is the brand, it feels more human. That’s what makes creator brands so sticky.
Fame isn’t enough.
As investors like those at Slow Ventures have pointed out:
The product still has to be good.
The creator still has to care.
Slapping your name on a random product won’t work long-term. The brands that succeed are the ones that fit.
We call that content-product fit. And it’s something we at Octo are obsessed with.
It means you have more power than you think.
You don’t need to wait for a sponsor to call.
You don’t need to rely on AdSense.
You can build something of your own—and investors may want in.
But you don’t need a venture firm to get started.
That’s where Octo comes in.
We’ve built Octo for creators like you—people who love making videos, but don’t want to spend hours figuring out Shopify plugins or app development frameworks.
Our team handles the messy middle:
📦 Research
✍️ Scripts & Thumbnails
🎞️ Editing
🛍️ Merch & Products
📱 Web and mobile app development
Whether you want help with your channel—or to launch an entire brand—we’ve done this before.
You keep creating. We’ll help you build a business.
You don’t have to be a MrBeast or Emma Chamberlain to build a brand.
You just need three things:
A strong connection with your audience
A product that makes sense for your niche
A team to help you bring it to life
You’ve got the first one.
We can help with the next two.
Let’s make something real.