In April Six a venture capital firm led by Reddit

In April, Six, a venture capital firm led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and Bessemer Venture Partners announced a $16 million investment in PearPop, a platform that helps creators monetize their social media collaboration and interaction. Venture capital firm SignalFire estimates that 50 million people worldwide consider themselves content creators, and news site The Information estimated that venture capitalists have invested $2 billion in 50 content-focused startups this year. In February, prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz invested in Stir, a platform that helps creators manage their money, valuing the company at $100 million. “When I started venture capital in 2016, we thought it would be very difficult to create another major social network,” says Li Jin, founder of Atelier, a venture capital firm focused on the creative online world. TikTok has made it easier for aspiring figures to be discovered on social media and given them a more direct way to make money through the company’s creative fund, which pays creators a fixed fee based on views. Last month, for example, venture capital firm Founders Fund organized a $15 million funding round for Pietra, a startup that aims to help influencers launch product lines. As the lines between venture capital and the creative world blur, many traditional venture capitalists are trying to become creative people themselves. Dispo, the most popular social media startup in February, ran into controversy a month after one of its co-founders, YouTube star David Dobrick, became embroiled in controversy over allegations of sexual assault against one of “his” “vlogging team members.” “Shortly thereafter, Spark Capital said it severed all ties with the company. Subscription services like OnlyFans and Patreon, where fans pay for access to premium content, also made investors realize that building tools for creators is a solid business. He joined Index Ventures in December, just as venture capitalists were starting to show interest in creators and seeking help from people who know the industry. But while investors are eager to put their money into social media startups, it’s not clear that any of these apps will ever make it to market. Silicon Valley seems much more interested in the digital tools and platforms that content creators use than in direct investment in the creators themselves. Dispo, a photo-sharing app that simulates working with a digital camera, received $4 million in a funding round led by Six and an additional round of $20 million led by Spark Capital.