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 C on Growth Potential
Rated D+ on Differentiation

Industries

Fintech

Financial Services

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$100.7M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2019

Get referred to Karat Financial

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Visa explored a creator agent pilot with Karat in November 2025.
  • Karat's May 2025 banking launch expands wallet share beyond the Black Card.
  • Creator businesses need tax planning and cash-flow tools, supporting cross-sell conversion.

What critics are saying

  • Visa, Grasshopper, and Cross River control core rails, compressing Karat's leverage.
  • Creator income remains volatile; sponsorship shocks hit repayment quality within months.
  • October 2023 layoffs exposed cost pressure; another slowdown could force liquidation.

What makes Karat Financial unique

  • Karat underwrites creators using revenue and social metrics, not FICO scores.
  • By May 2025, Karat launched FDIC-insured creator business banking through Grasshopper.
  • Karat says it has extended $1.5 billion in creator credit, averaging $25,000.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

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

-5%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

-2%
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 Tech Watch
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 Middle East
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.

Recently Posted Jobs

Sign up to get curated job recommendations

There are no jobs for Karat Financial right now.

Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today

We update Karat Financial's jobs every few hours, so check again soon! Browse all jobs →