Karat Financial Raises $70M, Teams Up With Visa to Launch New Card to Help Creators Build Personal Credit and Scale Their Businesses

Karat Financial, a leading financial services platform for creators, today announced the launch of a new business card in partnership with Visa, a world leader in digital payments. The card is designed specifically with creators in mind and helps them establish personal credit history, improving access to capital when and where they need it. Creators interested in unlocking new opportunities for financial growth and success may apply for a Karat card today at: www.trykarat.com.

The company also announced it has raised a combined $70M in Series B financing, including $30M in debt financing from TriplePoint Capital and a $40M equity round led by SignalFire, with full pro-rata participation from existing investors including Union Square Ventures, CRV, & GGV, new investors such as Commerce Ventures, and top celebrities & creators including Will Smith via Dreamers VC, Nick DiGiovanni, MoistCr1TiKaL via MANA Talent Group, Ludwig Ahgren, Wendover Productions, and Pat Flynn – joining existing angels like Biz Stone cofounder of Twitter, Michael Ovitz cofounder of CAA and Steve Chen cofounder of YouTube.

The new capital brings the total amount the company has raised to more than $100M to date.

A New Financial Model to Support the $250B Creator Economy

Despite the creator economy being estimated at $250 billion globally today, content creators face significant challenges in accessing credit. Conventional banks, which typically require a consistent monthly income and focus on traditional revenue streams, often deny high-earning creators access to the capital and credit needed to expand their businesses.

As an industry leader in banking solutions that meet the needs of the world’s top creators, Karat has grown its creator cardholder base 5x since its Series A raise. By leveraging their history with Karat, creators now have an easier path to capital when applying for mortgages, car loans and other essential financial products, which improves chances of approval and securing favorable terms for crucial life endeavors.

The new Karat business card provides creators with several benefits:

• Personal credit building: The Karat business credit card helps creators build their personal credit history as they make on-time payments. Even better – creators don’t undergo a hard credit pull when they open up the card. Building personal credit history helps the entire financial ecosystem better understand creators and offer them better terms.

• Exclusive events and collaborations: Karat creators receive special access to exclusive events to network and collaborate with each other. Karat has hosted unique member experiences at VidCon, the Streamys, VidSummit and more.

• Purchase protection: Karat creators enjoy a shield of security for their purchases. They can receive reimbursement if eligible items are stolen or accidentally damaged within 90 days of purchase, providing peace of mind and safeguarding valuable investments.

• Simplify taxes: Creators are often eligible for thousands of dollars in tax write-offs that they miss. Karat creators can effortlessly track business write-offs with their card and upgrade to personalized bookkeeping and tax services, ensuring a hassle-free tax season.

A full description of benefits can be found at www.trykarat.com.

Karat is co-founded by creator and fintech pros Eric Wei and Will Kim. Wei’s prior experience includes Instagram, Blackstone, and McKinsey, while Kim brings expertise from his time as a VC, and at Palantir and Goldman Sachs.

“We understand the challenges creators face in accessing capital and credit, and we’re here to bridge that gap,” said Kim. “By helping creators access the capital they require, we are enabling them to bring their creative ideas to fruition.”

Wei added, “Our mission is to become a one-stop financial center for creators by providing them with all the tools they need to thrive and scale, so they can focus on what they do best – creating remarkable content that inspires and captivates audiences worldwide.”

Underpinning Karat’s success is its underwriting model, which measures the unique creditworthiness of creators. Creators have already made millions of dollars in transactions using Karat business cards, benefiting from higher limits and exclusive rewards. As the creative economy continues to evolve rapidly, the company remains at the forefront of innovation with recently launched tools that include bookkeeping and tax services, among others.

“Karat’s unwavering dedication to serving the needs of creators resonated deeply with us, and they’ve proven out a new financial model, which no one else is doing,” said Wayne Hu, Partner at SignalFire. “We believe the creator economy is a force to be reckoned with, and Karat’s solutions - without the steep fees or high-interest rates of other cards - positions them at the forefront of this powerful movement.”

Notable creators like Graham Stephan, Marina Mogilko, Nas Daily, 3LAU, Alexandra Botez, Sam Kolder, and Toddy Smith trust Karat to optimize their businesses beyond the hype cycle.

“The Karat card has been a game-changer for both my business and personal finances,” said top chess creator Alexandra Botez. “It’s not just another credit card; it’s a powerful tool that has transformed the way I manage my finances and access credit. With Karat, I have the financial freedom to invest in my creative projects, while continuing to expand and grow my business.”

To join top creators who use Karat Financial, visit www.trykarat.com and get started today.

About Karat

Karat Financial helps creators with money and finances. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company provides financial tools that creators need to manage their businesses as they grow. Karat Financial is backed by SignalFire, Union Square Ventures, CRV, GGV, Commerce Ventures, Dreamers VC, Y Combinator and strategic investors including Kevin Lin, cofounder of Twitch; Biz Stone, cofounder of Twitter; Kevin Mayer, former CEO of TikTok; Steven Chen, cofounder of YouTube; Michael Ovitz, cofounder of CAA and top creators & creator groups like Alexandra Botez, Graham Stephan, 3LAU, Ludwig, Nebula, MANA Talent Group, and many more. To learn more, visit www.trykarat.com

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