What Hummingbirds does

Hummingbirds is a Des Moines-based SaaS-enabled marketplace founded in 2022 by Emily Steele (CEO) and Charise Flynn (COO) that connects consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands with hyperlocal nano and micro creators — predominantly millennial women with 500–10,000 followers — for location-specific marketing campaigns aimed at driving verified retail velocity. The platform is built around three integrated products: Campaigns (brief creation, creator sourcing, content delivery, and performance tracking), Licensed UGC (100% rights-ready creator content for paid, organic, and retail media use), and Offers (a receipt-verified affiliate shopping tool linking creator content to in-store purchases at retailers including Costco, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Sprouts). The underlying technology centers on geo-targeted creator matching, dedicated campaign team operations, and a unified dashboard combining content metrics with verified SKU-level redemption data.

The business operates on a B2B annual subscription model targeting CPG brands across food, beverage, beauty, pet, and everyday goods verticals, with starting subscription pricing of approximately $15,000–$18,000 per year. Creators are compensated $50–$100 per campaign, creating a transaction-linked cost layer on top of the recurring brand revenue. Distribution combines an enterprise field-sales motion with a self-serve path through the company's app, and the company has grown to 280+ brand partners and 55,000+ creators and shoppers across 78 U.S. cities following its May 2026 New York launch. Reported customer outcomes include up to 17x sales increases in specific geographies (Olipop), 3–4% engagement rates for nano creators versus a 0.7% industry average, and 21 hours of average team time saved per campaign.

Name

Hummingbirds

Legal name

Hummingbirds

Website

https://thehummingbirds.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hummingbirds is a SaaS-enabled marketplace connecting CPG brands with hyperlocal nano and micro creators for retail performance marketing. Founded in 2022 in Des Moines, it serves 280+ brands and 55,000+ creators across 78 U.S. cities on an annual subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Influencer / Creator Marketing Software

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Monetization & Fan Funding (Subscriptions, Tips, Memberships, Patronage) (MPAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Merchandise & Print-on-Demand Platforms (MPACAFAE)

Keywords

• Creator marketing platform
• Influencer marketing software
• User generated content
• Retail performance marketing
• Hyperlocal content creators

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Brand Subscription: CPG brands pay annual subscription fees for access to the platform, creator matching, campaign management, and content licensing. Brands receive dedicated campaign teams to plan, manage, and execute programs.
2. Creator Compensation per Campaign: Creators receive $50 to $100 per campaign for content creation. The company facilitates payment to creators while generating revenue from brand subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hummingbirds operates a SaaS-enabled creator marketing platform that connects consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands with hyperlocal nano and micro content creators (500-10,000 followers) for location-specific marketing campaigns. The platform enables brands to plan, execute, and manage creator campaigns, license 100% rights-ready user-generated content (UGC), and use the Offers affiliate shopping tool to tie creator content to verified in-store purchases at retailers like Costco, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Sprouts. Brands pay annual subscriptions while creators earn per-campaign compensation.

Product overview

Hummingbirds is a creator marketing platform that connects consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands with everyday nano and micro creators to drive authentic local engagement and verified retail performance. The platform operates as a unified system with two core product offerings: Licensed UGC (user-generated content) for generating authentic creator content with full rights for brand use, and Offers (an affiliate shopping tool) for connecting creator content to verified in-store purchases through receipt redemption tracking. Brands can run Campaigns and Offers together on a single dashboard. The platform targets industries including food, beverage, beauty, pet, and everyday goods brands, operating across 78 U.S. cities with over 50,000 creators and 280 brand partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Licensed UGC Creator content licensing offering that generates high-quality, authentic user-generated content from real everyday creators that is rights-ready and licensed for use across paid, organic, retail media, and other brand channels. Designed for CPG brands seeking authentic shelf-level visuals.
• Offers Affiliate shopping tool that creates offers tied to specific SKUs and retailers. Shoppers discover offers, purchase products, and upload receipts to verify purchases, enabling brands to connect creator content to verified in-store sales and track redemptions on a unified dashboard alongside creator campaigns.
• Campaigns Creator campaign platform enabling brands to build retailer campaigns where creators discover, review, and opt into brand activations. Includes dedicated campaign team for planning, management, and execution; creator sourcing; content delivery; and performance tracking.
• Brand Awareness Campaign offering focused on driving brand visibility and consumer awareness through localized creator content activation and word-of-mouth marketing in specific geographies.
• State of Everyday Creators Report

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-4% engagement rate for nano creators vs 0.7% industry average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CreatorIQ: Enterprise influencer marketing platform that helps brands discover, manage, and measure creator campaigns at scale. Directly comparable to Hummingbirds as a B2B SaaS for brand-creator workflows, though focused on larger creators and broader enterprise customers.
• Aspire: Creator marketplace and influencer marketing platform serving CPG and e-commerce brands with campaign management and content licensing. Closely comparable to Hummingbirds in serving CPG buyers with creator-driven campaigns.
• Grin: Influencer marketing platform purpose-built for e-commerce and DTC brands, with creator discovery, gifting, and content licensing. Directly comparable as a B2B SaaS in the creator economy serving consumer brands.
• Later: Social media and influencer marketing platform combining scheduling, analytics, and creator collaboration tools for brands. Comparable as a creator economy SaaS targeting brand customers with content and campaign workflows.
• IZEA: Creator marketplace connecting brands with influencers for sponsored content and campaigns. Directly comparable as an established creator economy platform serving brand-side demand.
• Tagger (by Sprout Social): Influencer marketing intelligence and campaign management platform, now part of Sprout Social. Comparable as a SaaS for brand influencer discovery, planning, and measurement workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Dash Hudson: Social media marketing platform for brands with creator content, visual analytics, and campaign tools. Broader incumbent serving brand social teams beyond just creator marketing.
• Bazaarvoice: User-generated content and consumer ratings platform serving enterprise retailers and brands. Comparable in enabling brands to capture and license authentic content (UGC) for marketing use.
• impact.com: Partnership management and affiliate marketing platform with creator and affiliate tracking. Comparable to Hummingbirds' Offers/receipt-verification functionality at a broader enterprise scale.

Emerging players

• Refersion: Affiliate and influencer marketing platform focused on DTC and Shopify brands. Comparable to Hummingbirds' Offers feature with receipt- and purchase-verified creator/affiliate attribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meet-the-hummingbirds
• Instagraminstagram.com/hummingbirdshq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hummingbirds