Karat Financial

Karat Financial

Custom credit cards for influencers

Overview

Karat Financial provides specialized banking services, such as credit cards and payment advances, for social media influencers and content creators. Instead of using traditional credit scores, the company determines creditworthiness by analyzing an influencer's social media metrics, including follower counts, engagement rates, and sponsorship income. This focus on digital performance allows Karat to serve creators who lack conventional credit histories, distinguishing it from traditional banks that often overlook this demographic. The company's goal is to provide creators with the liquidity and financial tools necessary to manage their unique revenue streams and grow their businesses.

YC Company

About Karat Financial

Simplify's Rating
Why Karat Financial is rated
C+
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Fintech

Financial Services

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$100.7M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2019

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Raised $70M in 2023 with Visa partnership, extending $1.5B credit to creators.
  • Launched business banking in 2025 with FDIC-insured accounts and automated tax planning.
  • Average cardholder has 2M followers and $300K revenue, scaling with growth.

What critics are saying

  • Instagram algorithm changes slash creator revenue 50-80%, causing defaults in 12 months.
  • Visa restricts creator programs, crippling Karat's margins in 18 months.
  • JPMorgan and Brex launch competing creator cards, eroding market in 12 months.

What makes Karat Financial unique

  • Karat underwrites credit using social media metrics and creator revenue, not traditional scores.
  • Karat Black Card offers 1-3x rewards on creator categories like ad spend and camera gear.
  • Co-founders Eric Wei from Instagram and Will Kim from Goldman Sachs tailor for influencers.

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Funding

Total Funding

$100.7M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

6 Rounds

Debt funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Debt Funding Comparison
Coming Soon

Benefits

Flexible & remote work culture

Competitive compensation & equity

Health, dental, & vision

401k

Home office and/or co-working allowance

Health & wellness budget

Your very own Karat card

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
Karat
Jan 14th, 2025
Creator Bootcamp, TikTok Ban Update, & 2025 Trends

On January 27th, trykarat.com is launching Creator Bootcamp-2 weeks of free workshops with some of your favorite creators and industry experts.

Karat
Dec 31st, 2024
The Playbook for Success on Socials

This year, trykarat.com launched Creator Studio-a free Discord community dedicated to helping creators connect, monetize, and grow.

LA TechWatch
Jul 20th, 2023
The LA TechWatch startup daily funding report: 7/20/2023

Karat Financial, a finance and credit card platform for creators and influencers, has raised $40M in Series B funding led by SignalFire.

Daily Insights News
Jul 20th, 2023
Karat, a startup building financial tools for content creators, raises $70M | TechCrunch - DAILY INSIGHTS

Karat, a startup building financial tools for content creators, raises $70M | TechCrunch - DAILY INSIGHTS.

TechCrunch
Jul 19th, 2023
Karat, a startup building financial tools for content creators, raises $70M | TechCrunch

Karat Financial, a startup offering credit to creators, has raised $70 million in venture capital on the heels of a Visa partnership.

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