🚀 Cami Tellez launches a new marketing platform for the creator economy with $4 million in funding

Cami Tellez, known for her lingerie brand Parade, has taken a new step in her entrepreneurial career by announcing the launch of Devotion, a marketing platform focused on the creator economy. This new project has secured $4 million in funding, led by Basecase and Will Ventures.

Tellez, who founded Parade at the age of 21, saw her previous company sold in 2023, but that didn't stop her. Along with Jon Kroopf, a former TikTok executive, she aims to revolutionize how large brands manage their influencer programs. The Devotion platform promises to automate the discovery and management of creators, making it easier for brands to find and collaborate with influencers more efficiently.

A shift in the creator economy

The creator economy has evolved, and Tellez notes that the previous model, centered on macro creators, is no longer sufficient. According to an IAB report from 2025, creators still represent only 2% of advertising spending, indicating that there is a significant potential to be unlocked. Devotion seeks to change this by offering a solution that not only automates processes but also maintains human oversight over decisions.

The platform helps brands analyze influencer posts, ensuring they comply with the company's guidelines, and facilitates payment to creators, which would be complicated if it solely relied on humans.

Tellez emphasizes that Devotion has already succeeded in its beta phase, with over 10 clients and achieving seven-figure revenues. With the new funding, they plan to expand their technical team and develop more artificial intelligence agents to enhance their services.

Looking to the future

Tellez and Kroopf are convinced that the future of advertising lies in working with a large number of influencers, not just the most well-known. The democratization of influence means that anyone, regardless of their popularity, can have a significant impact.

“We are seeing a shift toward scaled creator ecosystems for the larger, traditionally more risk-averse brands,” concludes Tellez, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new algorithms and market expectations.

Source: TechCrunch