Agentio Secures $40 Million to Expand Creator Marketplace Beyond YouTube

Agentio, a startup that connects brands with YouTube creators for sponsored videos, has raised $40 million in its Series B funding round, bringing its total fundraising to $56 million and valuing the company at $340 million. This funding round was led by Forerunner, with participation from Benchmark, Craft Ventures, AlleyCorp, Antler, and Starting Line. The investment comes as views on sponsored videos on YouTube have increased by 28% year-on-year, and the number of sponsored videos has surged by 54% in the first half of 2025, according to Tubefilter.

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Founded in 2023 by CEO Arthur Leopold and CTO Jonathan Meyers, Agentio aims to streamline the traditionally labor-intensive process of influencer marketing. The platform utilizes artificial intelligence to match brands with relevant creators by analyzing content and identifying shared interests. This approach allows brands to connect with creators more efficiently, significantly reducing the time required to establish partnerships. For instance, the time to the first bid for creators has decreased from 45-50 days to less than a day.

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Agentio has also introduced AI-powered features to enhance campaign management. These include a campaign manager that assists marketers in crafting campaigns and a content review feature that ensures submitted drafts align with brand safety standards. This automation allows brands to scale campaigns rapidly without the need for extensive manual oversight.

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While Agentio has primarily focused on YouTube, it is now beta testing its services on Meta platforms, particularly for video formats like Reels. The company plans to expand its offerings to include platforms such as TikTok and Snap in 2026. This expansion is driven by the increasing presence of creators on various social networks, enabling Agentio to facilitate broader campaign strategies.

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Eurie Kim, managing partner at Forerunner, expressed confidence in Agentio's potential, stating, “Unlocking multiple channels was a clear signal for us that Agentio could be the AI-powered media planning platform of the future.” Arthur Leopold emphasized the importance of automating the influencer marketing process, noting that the goal is to make buying creative content as straightforward as purchasing ads on platforms like Meta and Google.

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Despite the promising growth, some critics argue that the reliance on AI may overlook the nuanced relationships between brands and creators. Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of automated matching in fostering genuine partnerships, which are often built on personal connections and trust.

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With the new funding, Agentio plans to increase its workforce from 35 to over 100 employees, focusing on product development, engineering, and market expansion. The company aims to solidify its position in the creator economy and enhance its platform's capabilities to meet the evolving needs of marketers and creators alike.

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• “The challenge historically before Agentio was for brands to partner with creators at scale.” — Arthur Leopold, CEO

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• “Now, our agent checks all these parameters that save time for brands and allows them to roll out and scale campaigns rapidly.” — Jonathan Meyers, CTO

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• “Unlocking multiple channels was a clear signal for us that Agentio could be the AI-powered media planning platform of the future, starting with the most valuable marketing asset of the future: creators,” Kim told TechCrunch over email.” — Eurie Kim, Managing Partner at Forerunner

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