Noise Raises $5.5M to Help Everyday People Monetize Content Creation

Marketing platform Noise has announced a $5.5 million seed funding round led by Capital Midwest, M25, and Girshin Robotics. The investment brings the company’s total raised capital to $7.2 million, with additional participation from CapitalizeVC and operators from DoorDash. The startup aims to bridge the gap between brands and ordinary individuals seeking to earn income through content creation.

Noise operates on a model that differs significantly from traditional influencer marketing. Instead of relying solely on established influencers with large followings, the platform allows anyone with a smartphone to sign up. Brands submit campaign briefs and budgets, and creators are matched with relevant opportunities. Rather than receiving a flat fee, creators are compensated based on the number of views their content generates across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

The founders—CEO Diego Kafie, Stu Feldt, and Nic Weber—launched Noise in 2025, drawing inspiration from their previous experience building the mobile game app Playbite. While scaling Playbite, the team discovered that recruiting and training regular users to create social content was far more cost-effective than hiring high-profile influencers. “We started with five, ten, 25, then 100 people,” Kafie recalled. “Before we knew it, our installs were skyrocketing as this small army of people went to places like TikTok and posted engaging content daily.”

This strategy of turning everyday users into brand advocates proved efficient for their startup budget, prompting the creation of Noise. The platform now boasts 1.5 million registered creators. According to Kafie, top performers on the platform earn more than six figures annually. The company generates revenue by taking a fee from the payments brands make to creators once views are delivered.

“Our top brands work with several thousand creators on autopilot,” Kafie stated. He noted that while current customers are primarily mobile apps and startups with limited budgets looking to recruit a wide range of potential users, the long-term goal is to serve companies of all sizes.

To support new users, Noise provides creator training modules that teach participants how to produce brand-compliant content. Beginners start with access to select campaigns, but as they complete more training and gain work experience, they unlock higher-paying opportunities. This structure addresses the barriers many face in becoming influencers, offering a pathway for millions to earn their first dollar online.

Alongside the funding news, Noise launched its Organic-to-Ads program. This feature allows brands to take the organic videos created by their user army and amplify them with paid advertising spend on Meta and TikTok. Kafie emphasized that creators retain the right to accept or reject campaign offers, as brands must set competitive rates. He argued that this model democratizes content creation, enabling brands to achieve diversity and reach at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing playbooks.

The move enters a growing market for content creator infrastructure, competing with companies like Billo and JoinBrands. The demand for such platforms is reflected in recent data showing that 57% of young people and over 40% of U.S. adults express a desire to become influencers.