GGWP Academy raises $1.125 million for influencer marketing for gaming and esports

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GGWP Academy has raised $1.125 million in funding to help change the way influencer marketing is handled in gaming and esports.

GGWP Academy is an online learning platform that helps players earn and learn, and over 50 global brands bring in top talent. And now it's hitting the US market.

Founded by Jacqueline Garrett in Melbourne, Australia, the company offers content creators and streamers the opportunity to invest in their own future through a crowdfunding campaign.

“We teach content creators how to become the best content creators in their category. And then we give them the opportunity to work with brands around the world. on higher investment for the brands that engaged them," Garrett said in an interview with GamesBeat. "There are a lot of influencers or content creators who got there by chance or by being there at the start, or by collaborating with the right person, but they didn't necessarily know how to professionally develop a brand to engage their audience and deliver ROI from marketing campaigns."

The company will run its campaign on Equitise throughout September, giving its more than 11,000 existing users the opportunity to become both employees and owners of the platform.

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Investors include the family of Adidas founder Adi Dassler, Flying Fox Ventures, Scale Investors and Euphemia, as well as accelerators Lead Sports and Startmate. Garrett started the company in 2018 to help his then 9-year-old son Max, who was Australia's youngest esports professional and content creator on YouTube.

After Max competed in three world championships, appeared on national television, signed to two professional esports teams, and earned $15,000 in brand deals in his first year as a creator, his mother understood how fragmented the ecosystem of creators was and decided to change it. .

Since its launch, the GGWP Academy has taken off, teaching thousands of global influencers how to become the best content creators and giving them the opportunity to work with the biggest brands in the world. GGWP Academy has won contracts with brands such as Electronic Arts, Logitech, Casio, Cheezels, Indomie, Pushas and 2K.

Now the company is expanding into the US with the launch of the GGWP Academy Automated Marketplace, which it says will help thousands of creators grow their audience and monetize their content through matching brand sponsorships.

The global influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $16.4 billion in 2022, but big brands are still struggling to find the right influencer talent for campaigns, measure the return on investment of marketing efforts and managing taxes and payments.

Garrett believes GGWP Academy's technology will be a game-changer for both sides of the market, identifying and connecting emerging micro and macro influencers with brands to achieve the best ROI for campaigns, and providing branded dashboards with custom features including a verified training program, built in creator mentorship, proprietary matchmaking technology, and automated post-campaign reporting.