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No. 0099

Published 28 July 2026

Inside the rise of creator-brand equity deals

Why it matters

Instead of a fee per post, founders are pitching creators as investors, with equity replacing or topping up the cash. Organised dinners and networking events have become the deal flow mechanism, closer to venture capital than to talent booking. It moves the creator from vendor to stakeholder, which changes both the incentive to keep talking and the credibility of what gets said. The most committed relationships are not the best paid ones, they are the ones with skin in the game.