Agentio raises $40M for creator ads
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Agentio has raised $40 million in Series B funding as it expands its ad buying tech from YouTube to other creator platforms.
Why it matters: The startup supports the accelerating shift of ad dollars to creators and influencer marketing.
The big picture: Top global advertisers have committed to spending more in the creator economy.
- Unilever's CEO said earlier this year its ad spend on social media will grow from 30% to 50% of its total — which was $10.2 billion in 2024 — and it will work with 20 times more influencers.
- "Advertising follows attention, and everybody through their social feeds understands that creators are the most important part of like this marketing ecosystem," Agentio CEO Arthur Leopold says.
How it works: Agentio is a two-sided marketplace for creators and brands that helps automate creator campaigns, including matching, management and performance tracking.
- The platform started with ad reads on YouTube and has extended its capabilities to Meta's partnership ads, currently in beta. It plans to add other platforms next year.
- Leopold says Agentio has a network of "many thousands" of creators, including top YouTubers like Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal who recently joined as advisers.
- This year, Agentio has worked with more than 100 brands, including Uber, Tecovas, DoorDash, CashApp and Olipop.
Follow the money: Forerunner led and was joined by Benchmark, Craft Ventures, AlleyCorp, Antler and Starting Line. The startup has raised $56 million in total and is valued at $340 million.
- Leopold says Agentio is profitable and its revenue has grown five-fold year-over-year.
- Forerunner's clients have used Agentio's platform, including Warby Parker, Away, Chime and The Farmer's Dog.
- "Just as Google and Meta built platforms to unlock search and social, Agentio is building the infrastructure needed for creator-led ad development and monetization at scale," Forerunner managing partner Eurie Kim said in a statement.
What's next: Leopold says the funding will help grow the team from 35 to more than 100 employees next year.
