Cameo
Personalized celebrity video marketplace · Chicago
- Founded
- 2017
- Entered
- 2017
- Status 2026
- Active
- Metro
- Chicago
- Embeddedness
- 2 connections
- Confidence
- verified · strongest source trade or financial press
Method
Steven Galanis, Martin Blencowe and Devon Townsend launch Cameo in Chicago on 15 March 2017 and pay talent 75 percent of each booking plus all tips, so creators earn from day one. Pandemic demand drives a 100 million dollar Series C in March 2021 at a 1 billion dollar valuation, and Cameo buys the celebrity merch platform Represent from CustomInk in 2021 to bundle gifts. Demand collapses after lockdowns: Cameo cuts 87 staff in May 2022, more in November 2022 and 80 in July 2023, leaving fewer than 50 from a peak near 400, and its valuation is marked down to about 100 million dollars. Valor Equity leads a 28 million dollar round in March 2024. Cameo runs near breakeven in 2025 to 2026 with a TikTok integration, CameoX self serve creators and Cameo for Business.
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The path: money and goods moving
- acquiredRepresentCameo acquires Represent from Custom Ink in 2021 for undisclosed terms to bundle merch with video shout outs.2021
- backed bySoftBank Vision FundSoftBank Vision Fund joins Cameo's 100 million dollar Series C in March 2021 at a 1 billion dollar valuation and marks the stake down to about 100 million dollars in 2022. (partly verified)2021