Passes is a technology company.
Passes has raised $49.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Passes.
Passes has raised $49.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Passes has raised $49.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Passes's investors include Abstract Ventures, Accel, Alt Capital, AngelPad, Arrive, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Bond, Craft Ventures, Emergence Capital, Franklin Templeton Investments, Locus Ventures, Lux Capital.
Passes is a creator monetization platform that enables artists, influencers, and talent with large followings—typically over 100,000 across social media—to build paid communities, sell exclusive content, and convert fans into paying superfans.[1][2][3][4] It offers tools like subscriptions, pay-per-message chats, content paywalls, digital drops, audience analytics, and payouts, while handling payments, compliance, and support; agencies can manage multiple creators.[1][4] Serving top creators in niches like music, TikTok, astrology, and therapy, Passes solves fragmented monetization in the creator economy by centralizing commerce and fan engagement in one brand-friendly platform, taking only 10% + 30¢ per transaction (creators keep ~90%).[1][3][4] Backed by a $40M Series A in 2023 and an earlier $9M round, it shows strong growth momentum through acquisitions like Fanhouse and expansion plans.[2][3]
Passes was founded by Lucy Guo and launched in 2022 in Miami, Florida, as a response to pain points Guo observed in the creator economy among her friends—musicians, TikTokers, and influencers struggling with monetization.[2][3] Guo, who aimed to empower creators as "small businesses" scaling into large ones, started by onboarding friends via word-of-mouth, gaining early traction with high-profile users like Anna DeGuzman (America’s Got Talent runner-up), TherapyJeff, TikTok astrologer Maren Altman, and investors including Paris Hilton, Jake Paul, and Joe Montana.[3] Pivotal moments include a $9M seed round, the $40M Series A led by BOND with Abstract Ventures and Crossbeam Ventures, and acquiring Fanhouse to diversify revenue streams, fueling team expansion and product development.[2][3]
Passes stands out in the crowded creator economy through these key features:
Passes rides the creator economy boom, projected to hit $480B by 2027, by professionalizing top creators (100K+ followers) as entrepreneurs amid platform algorithm volatility on TikTok/Instagram.[3][4] Timing is ideal post-2022 launches, capitalizing on fan monetization shifts from ad revenue to direct subs/paywalls, boosted by AI tools for safety/sales that attract brands.[3] Market forces like rising creator burnout, acquisition plays (e.g., Fanhouse), and Miami's tech hub status favor it, while influencing the ecosystem by setting standards for compliant, high-retention platforms that bridge influencers to media brands.[2][3]
Passes is poised to scale by deepening AI integrations for sales automation and content personalization, targeting more established creators and agencies amid creator economy maturation.[3] Trends like AI-driven moderation, Web3 fan ownership, and brand-creator collabs will shape its path, potentially via further acquisitions or IPO as pre-IPO shares trade on secondary markets.[1][3] Its influence may evolve from niche monetizer to full-stack creator OS, amplifying Guo's vision of creators as big brands—watch for team growth and revenue jumps signaling that trajectory.[3]
Key people at Passes.
Passes has raised $49.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $40.0M Series A in February 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2024 | $40.0M Series A | Abstract Ventures, Accel, Alt Capital, AngelPad, Arrive, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Bond, Craft Ventures, Emergence Capital, Franklin Templeton Investments, Locus Ventures, Lux Capital, Matrix, Merus Capital, One Planet Group, Openview Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, UpHonest Capital, Y Combinator, Cristina Cordova, Eddie Hartman, Immad Akhund, Jon Brelig, Melissa Tan, Mike Hennessey, Saran Chari, Zack Kanter | |
| May 1, 2022 | $9.0M Seed | Abstract Ventures, Bennett Siegel, Alt Capital, AngelPad, BITKRAFT Ventures, Craft Ventures, Defy Partners, Gradient Ventures, Insight Partners, La Famiglia, Left Lane Capital, Matrix, Merus Capital, Openview Venture Partners, Visionaries Club, Cristina Cordova, Immad Akhund, Jan Deepen, Jett McCandless, Jon Brelig, Mato Peric, Melissa Tan, Mike Hennessey, Saran Chari, Stefan Jeschonnek, Zack Kanter |
