Throne.com

High-Level Overview

Throne is a commerce platform in the creator economy that enables content creators to receive gifts and sales from fans securely without sharing personal information, such as home addresses.[1][2][3] It offers tools like the Throne Wishlist for privacy-first gifting, a free Storefront for selling products (with merchants paying listing fees), and serves over 1 million creators, processing hundreds of millions in orders annually through partnerships with hundreds of brands.[1][3][4] Throne solves the problem of creators monetizing fan support effortlessly—handling payments, fulfillment, and shipping—while fans shop like on any e-commerce site, allowing creators to focus on content creation.[1] The company has shown strong growth momentum, surpassing 400,000 creators by early 2024, hitting $1 million in monthly gift purchases with 50% month-over-month growth in 2021, and achieving profitability without venture-scale outcomes.[3]

Origin Story

Throne was founded in 2021 by Patrice Becker and Leonhard Soenke, who previously co-founded and sold their calendar app Meeter to workflow automation startup Bardeen.[3] The idea emerged from addressing privacy and security gaps in creator gifting, starting with the Throne Wishlist as a concierge service that acts as an intermediary between fans and creators.[1][2][3] Early traction was rapid: by late 2021, it exceeded $1 million in monthly gift purchases at 50% MoM growth, leading to an $830,000 SAFE note from investors like Weekend Fund at a $30 million valuation cap.[3] A pivotal moment came in 2023 when, despite Series A readiness, the founders pivoted to profitability, returned investor capital by December, and expanded into products like Throne Storefront (a link-in-bio sales tool) and Throne Exchange (a virtual Secret Santa).[3]

Core Differentiators

• Privacy-First Security: Acts as a secure intermediary, preventing creators from sharing personal details like addresses; a past security bug exposing addresses was promptly fixed.[1][2][3]
• Zero Cost for Creators and Fans: 100% free storefront and wishlist use—no monthly fees or surcharges—with revenue from merchant commissions or service fees on non-partners.[1][3]
• Seamless Fulfillment and Integration: Handles all payment processing, packing, and shipping; integrates with platforms like Twitch (over half of creators sign up via Twitch login) for stream alerts on gifts.[1][3]
• Verified Creator Focus and Ecosystem Tools: Profile verification for creators only; additional features like Throne Exchange for global gift swaps (1,500 participants in one Christmas event).[1][3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Throne rides the surging creator economy trend, where platforms like Twitch and YouTube enable millions of creators to monetize directly from fans amid declining ad revenue and rising demand for authentic support mechanisms.[1][3] Timing aligns with post-2020 growth in live streaming and gifting (e.g., Twitch's dominance for Throne sign-ups), fueled by market forces like e-commerce normalization and privacy regulations favoring intermediary services.[3] It influences the ecosystem by enabling non-traditional revenue for creators—processing massive order volumes—and inspiring similar secure gifting tools, though its bootstrapped profitability model contrasts with VC-heavy peers.[3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Throne's profitability pivot positions it for sustainable scaling in the creator space, likely expanding Storefront partnerships (e.g., with Linus Media Group) and Exchange features amid ongoing gifting trends.[3] Rising creator tools demand and AI-driven personalization could boost growth, evolving its influence toward broader e-commerce for non-celebrity sellers while maintaining privacy as a core edge.[1][3] As the platform hits 1M+ creators, expect deeper Twitch integrations and global expansion to solidify its niche in fan-driven commerce.[3]