gen.video buys Lionize // RockWater Advises on Sale // 2 More Client Wins

By Chris Erwin

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Let's break it down...

–TARGET: Lionize–

Overview

• AI powered Influencer discovery and matching platform 

• Founded in 2018 by Chris Buetti and Austin Rosenthal

• “Technology that provides brands and agencies with a virtual influencer manager” – Chris Buetti, CEO and co-founder of Lionize

• HQ’d in New York

Company Highlights

• Database of 30M+ creators, with 90K+ creators engaged across 2K campaigns

• Facilitated 100K+ creator–brand partnerships

• Creator marketplace for exclusive brand deals with 120K+ users

Capital Markets History

• Jun’25 – Acquired by gen.video

• Feb’24 – $2M Follow-on Investment by Cultivation Capital

• Aug’22 – $4.5M Seed Round by Cultivation Capital and ScOp Venture Capital

–BUYER: gen.video–

Overview

• Influencer marketing platform offering discovery, selection, and reporting along with other creator economy services and solutions

• Founded in 2004 by Bill Hildebolt and current CEO Jessica Thorpe

• 29 associated members on LinkedIn

• HQ’d in Weston, Massachusetts

Company Highlights

• Serves clients such as Lenovo, NVIDIA, and Bayer 

• Spearheaded viral NVIDIA Studio campaign, generating over 7.6M and 14M TikTok and YouTube Shorts views, respectively

• Won two Silver awards at the 2024 US Partnerships Awards for TikTok campaign with Lenovo and Microsoft

Business Lines

• Creator Marketing Tools: Full-funnel measurement, Affiliate marketing, and Retail syndication

• Social Commerce Agency Services: Influencer strategy, Talent management, Content production, and Paid media amplification

Capital Markets History

• Dec’06 – $6M Series A with Massthread Venture Partners, Gotham Ventures, and Prism Venture Management

M&A History

• Jun’25 – Acquired Lionize 

• Sep’24 – Acquired UGC platform Bounty (our deal analysis here)

–DEAL DETAILS–

Overview

• Announced 6.23.25

Post Deal Ops

• Chris Buetti to join gen.video as Chief Data and AI Officer

• Austin Rosenthal to join gen.video as COO

Strategic Rationale

• gen.video aims to build a social commerce flywheel with Done-For-You tools

• “We’re building a next-gen system for creator collaboration and content performance. It’s more than automation we’re helping brands work with trusted creators faster and drive more accountable results” – Jessica Thorpe

• Both parties aim to make influencer marketing intelligent and measurable

• Gen.video’s advanced influencer analytics will integrate with Lionize’s platform to automate creator discovery and selection for brands. Will reduce manual effort and improve campaign performance through data-driven creator matching

Client Testimonial

• “Working with RockWater on the acquisition of Lionize was an exceptional experience from start to finish. Their team was incredibly attentive, always available, and brought institutional-level guidance that elevated every aspect of the deal. They understood the nuances of our business, advocated for our goals, and ultimately helped us navigate a complex process with clarity and confidence. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner." – Chris Buetti and Austin Rosenthal

–WHAT ELSE I FIND INTERESTING–

• Influencer marketing platforms are scaling quickly due to ad spend moving to social media and influencer marketing, resulting from major consumer behavior shifts in media consumption. In turn, there’s growing M&A for IM-focused companies, as buyers seek to capture the future of ad spend. Active buyers include agency holding companies like Publicis, next-gen IM agencies like gen.video, and challenger ad networks like Stagwell. Read more about the M&A activity in our analysis of Publicis buying Captiv8 (our analysis here) and on our deal blog.

Another client win 1/2…

–TARGET: Unicorn–

Overview

• Hybrid digital studio and talent management company

• Helps short-form creators transition to sustainable long-form YouTube programming and IP

• Co‑founded by Scott Dunn and Chris Gera

• Both have backgrounds in digital: Scott previously led talent at Doing Things Media and is also a cofounder of Little Chonk, and Chris was producer at Doing Things Media and BuzzFeed

Company Highlights

• Signed five creators and launched two formats: 

• “Chicken Show” (interviews)

• “The Daddy Academy” (dating)

• Talent roster includes: 

• Maxine the Fluffy Corgi, Niko Emanuilidis, Old Jewish Men, Olivia Herman, and Matty Kaido & Gojo

Capital Markets History

• $900K seed round led by Powerhouse Capital

–INVESTOR: Powerhouse VC–

Overview

• LA-based boutique VC firm founded in 2019 

• Co-founded by Ian Doody and Salim Mitha

• Funded by Evolution Media and CAA alumni

• 14 associated members on LinkedIn

Investment Focus

• Seed and early-stage investments

• Average check size between $500K and $5M

• Specializes in four media pillars…

• Sight (visual content)

• Sound (podcasts, music)

• Play (gaming, sports, esports)

• Live (experience economy, creator-driven content)

Investment History

• Recent investments:

• Mar’25 – Cheehoo

• Jan’25 – Betty Games

• Dec’23 – Wonder Project

• Aug’23 – Starglow Media

• Jul’23 – Closing Theory Studios

• Notable portfolio companies: 

• MasterClass, Wondery, Epic! Kids, Scopely, and Calm

–DEAL DETAILS–

Overview:

• $900k seed round (valuation was not disclosed)

• Lead investors: Powerhouse Capital
  

Use of Funds:

• Expand team (production, management, sales)

• Scale production capacity across verticals (food, sports, parenting) 

• Grow show portfolio to at least 12 talent-led series

Strategic Rationale

• Allows creators to expand from short-form content to monetizable, long-form shows

• Leverages co-founders’ experience in creator-led branded content and digital media

• Early-stage capital positions Unicorn to create a repository of IP and subsequent control content distribution

–WHAT ELSE I FIND INTERESTING–

• “Over 80% of creators now want to launch their own internet show as having a hit show is the ultimate growth tool to take a creator's business to the next level. Historically, content studios and management companies have operated independently. Management companies lack production infrastructure and resources. Content studios don't manage talent. When the two try to co-exist, it's often that the creator gets the short end of the stick.

• Unicorn consolidates 360 management with IP development and treats creators like true partners – by sharing an equal piece of the IP and all business derivatives. Unicorn wants to build a reputation for having the most creative and fearless content studio on the internet and it will only be available for talent who sign under management.” – Scott Dunn (Co-founder of Unicorn and Little Chonk)

• In the creator economy, multi-hyphenate founders are the norm; similar to the talent clients they work with, top founders today build across brands, platforms, and newco ventures, and find synergies across their various businesses and partnerships. For example, Unicorn grows talent access, production capabilities, and servicing infrastructure that directly supports Scott and his cofounder’s vision for the creator network of social CPG and media co Little Chonk, the other business he’s a cofounder of.

• We're seeing more hybrid digital talent x studio models like this gain traction, including Fixated, a joint management and content studio, which raised $13M from Eldridge a few months ago. The investment in Unicorn by Powerhouse VC reflects growing investor demand for hybrid models that combine talent management and content production. We expect to see more deals like this going forward.

Another client win 2/2…

–FUND LAUNCH: Further Adventures–

Overview

• Newly launched independent studio focused on identifying storytellers and developing original IP

• Focused on supporting filmmakers and digital creators across film, TV, digital platforms, and emerging formats

• Co-founded by Steven Beckman and Ben Stillman (NOTE: I’ve known Steven Beckman for over a decade, was my first POC at YouTube when I was an executive at one of the early MCNs…love seeing him and Ben make this move!)

• Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA

• Launched June 2025

Mission & Strategy

• Provide both creative and financial backing to creators from concept through IP distribution

• Emphasis on “creator-first” storytelling. Prioritizes autonomy, ownership, and innovation

• Targeting hybrid projects including streaming, theatrical, short-form, podcasts, and immersive

Unique Proposition

• Blended model: part film/TV studio, creator incubator, and investment fund

• Positioned to combat legacy media gatekeeping and misalignment with digital-first creatives

• Focus on early-stage creative investment, with production, brand, and distribution support

–WHAT ELSE I FIND INTERESTING–

• “We launched Further Adventures to champion extraordinary creative voices—from digital creators to innovative filmmakers—and provide the support, structure, and investment needed to take their vision further. Our goal is to amplify bold creators and back original ideas that deserve to be seen. We identify talent at the moment momentum begins—when a story is proven but not yet scaled—and help storytellers make the leap into the next chapter of their creative journey.” – Steven Beckman

I'm the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for creator economy and digital agencies. From buy and sell-side M&A and fundraising to market research and go-to-market planning. 

DM me on LinkedIn or email [email protected]

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