Influencers, how many late payments are you waiting on? Odds are, more than one.
Influencer marketing is a booming $10 billion industry, but for creators, inconsistent cash flow remains a major pain point. Brand budgets shift, campaign timelines change, and payments can take months to land. For many influencers who rely on brand deals as their main source of income, financial instability is the norm. According to the Wall Street Journal, fewer than 13% of online influencers earned more than $100,000 last year—while nearly half made $15,000 or less.
A fintech startup called Alchemy wants to change that. Founded by Isaac Wagschal, the company has launched a $100 million fund to provide creators with upfront payments based on projected future income. Since January, Alchemy has already distributed millions.
Growing as a creator takes time, money, and the right opportunities landing in your inbox. But unpredictable income is one of the biggest obstacles to scaling. Some months bring multiple sponsorships; others are completely dry. And while traditional financial institutions are slowly warming to the creator economy, access to capital remains limited—especially for creators still building their brands. (If you’ve ever tried asking a bank for a loan as a freelancer, you get it.)
Alchemy’s approach is different. It looks at an influencer’s full income stream—brand deals, Patreon, AdSense, and more—then uses the past six months of earnings to project the next six. Based on that, Alchemy prepurchases a portion of the creator’s expected revenue, providing a lump-sum payment upfront. A flat fee, typically around 1.15 times the amount advanced, is added.
Say a creator is projected to earn $100,000 in the next six months. Alchemy might advance $30,000 by purchasing 30% of that income. When the full $100,000 eventually comes in—whether it takes six months or a year—Alchemy collects its 30%, plus a $4,500 fee. There’s no loan, no interest, and no fixed repayment schedule. If a creator underperforms, Alchemy takes the hit.
To streamline the process, Alchemy is partnering with top creator agencies, managers, and influencer platforms to embed its financial tools directly into brand deal workflows. The goal: make upfront payments the industry norm.
“The creator economy is booming, yet too many influencers are stuck waiting months for sponsorships and delayed payments to clear,” Wagschal said in a press release. “Creators should have financial access that matches the speed of the digital world.”