The Economy of One
Today’s featured startup is building a 'neobank' designed for the world’s 1.2 billion creators.
Project Overview
Bump is building a new kind of financial service for creative professionals. The startup offers funding to individuals based on their "market value"—not traditional credit scores. If you’re a YouTuber, TikToker, podcaster, blogger, author, model, or any type of creative freelancer, Bump will estimate how much money it’s willing to lend you based on your income streams, follower activity, and digital assets.
The process is simple: connect your bank accounts, crypto wallets, and social media profiles. Bump’s algorithm will then determine your credit limit and update it regularly based on your performance. Once approved, creators can use their Bump-issued credit card to spend freely—no interest if the balance is paid within 30 days.
Whether you’re a solo creator or a company, Bump offers access to flexible funding. Today, the platform serves over 5,000 users who collectively hold $10 million in funds—and Bump has identified $111 million in "potential income" across its user base. The startup recently raised $3 million, bringing total investment to $4.5 million.
What’s the Gist?
Bump’s ambition is bold: become a neobank for the world’s 1.2 billion creators. That number may sound inflated, but the creative economy is undeniably massive and growing. Adobe estimates there were 303 million creators worldwide in 2022. In the U.S. alone, 27 million people monetize their creative work—14% of the population aged 16 to 54. Nearly half of them are full-time creators.
Within this ecosystem, there are millions of macro- and micro-influencers. These creators often lack access to traditional financial tools—despite having real economic value through their audience and creative output. That’s where Bump, and a few others, come in.
Take Karat, for example—a startup that also offers credit cards for creators based on follower metrics, plus accounting and tax services. They’ve raised over $115 million. Or Mozaic, which helps creators automate revenue splits for collaborations—essential in a field where team-based projects are common. Mozaic has raised $31.3 million.
Then there’s SteadyPay, which steps in when income is inconsistent. They offer micro-loans that top up a creator’s earnings to match their historical average—a crucial stabilizer for freelancers. SteadyPay has raised $13.4 million.
The business model? Zero-interest loans with penalties for late repayment. It’s a volume game: a significant portion of users miss payments, and that’s where the revenue comes from. In the U.S., 15–25% of credit card users are over 90 days late on payments—enough to make the model work.
Key Takeaways
If you’re building in fintech, the creator economy is a market worth exploring—especially the underserved mid- and long-tail of small creators. Their financial needs are real, but relatively small, which helps balance risk across a wide base.
Big players like Spotter and Jellysmack are already serving the top-tier influencers with loans backed by future ad revenue. But the everyday creator—who might make a living with 5,000 or 50,000 followers—is still wide open territory.
This space is booming. The digital content market is growing 25% year-over-year and is expected to exceed $180 billion by 2032. There’s a real opportunity to serve this audience with smart, well-designed financial products tailored to how creators earn, collaborate, and grow.
And if you’re looking for inspiration, just take a page from Bump, Karat, Mozaic, or SteadyPay.
Company info:
Bump
Website: usebump.com
Latest round: $3M on April 23, 2024
Total funding: $4.5M across 4 rounds