Trend
Trend is a self-serve UGC marketplace that connects e-commerce and DTC brands with a vetted network of US-based creators for custom photo and video content, operating on a pay-per-project basis under the soona parent brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Trend does
Trend is a self-serve UGC (user-generated content) marketplace platform, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that connects brands with a vetted network of freelance photographers and videographers for custom photo and video content production. The platform operates a two-sided model: brands post briefs and commission content directly via app.trend.io without sales involvement, while US-based creators using iPhones apply through creators.trend.io and an iOS mobile app, with the network accepting only the top 5% of more than 10,000 applicants. Trend has facilitated over 20,000 brand-creator partnerships and delivered 31,500+ videos and 46,000+ images across 1,000+ brands spanning CPG, beverages, cosmetics, fashion, and food & beverage, including Amazon, Lyft, Crocs, Harney & Sons, Kettle & Sons, TB12, Bobbie, and Health-Ade.
The core product surface comprises two content modules (Custom Videos — product-in-action, testimonial, unboxing; Custom Photos — product, lifestyle, portrait), offered individually or bundled as Content Packs, with a Trend Enterprise tier for larger accounts. Pricing is strictly unit-based (pay-per-content) with no subscriptions or platform fees; brands retain 100% licensing rights. In 2023, Trend merged with soona, a studio content platform, and now operates as 'Trend by soona' under soona as the strategic parent, combining remote creator content with physical studio content offerings.
Commercially, Trend uses a product-led growth motion with content marketing (blog, organic social, newsletter) and a sales-assisted enterprise overlay for large packages. The company has raised approximately $3.15M in disclosed funding (notably a $3M seed led by Flybridge in July 2022 with 500 Global, Black Ambition, and Techstars Ventures) and employs 11-50 people. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Trend firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trend
- Legal name
- Trend
- Website
- https://trend.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Trend is a self-serve UGC marketplace that connects e-commerce and DTC brands with a vetted network of US-based creators for custom photo and video content, operating on a pay-per-project basis under the soona parent brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trend industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Content Creator Marketplace
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- UGC Sourcing & Creator-for-Hire Platforms (Non-Influencer Content) (MPACAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- UGC (User-Generated Content) Production & Creator Networks (MPAAAHAF), Social & Digital-First Branded Content (Short-Form, Influencer, UGC-Style) (MPADAEAB), UGC Sourcing & Community Creator Programs (BPAFAHAK)
Keywords
Where Trend is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Trend business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Content creation commissions: Brands pay for custom UGC content (photos and videos) created by vetted creators on the platform. No subscription or platform membership fees for brands or creators. Creators earn cash payments and receive free products to keep.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-per-content model with no ongoing platform fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Trend product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trend operates a self-serve UGC (user-generated content) marketplace platform that connects brands with a vetted network of over 3,700 photographers, videographers, and creators to produce custom photo and video content. Brands pay per project to commission product photography, lifestyle photography, testimonial videos, unboxing videos, and product-in-action videos, receiving full 100% licensing and distribution rights to all content delivered. The platform offers no subscriptions or platform fees, with creators earning cash payments and free products.
Product overview
Trend is a unified UGC platform and content creator marketplace that connects brands with a vetted network of over 3,700 photographers, videographers, and creators. The platform offers two primary content modules: Custom Videos (Product in Action Videos, Testimonial Videos, Unboxing Videos) and Custom Photos (Product Photography, Lifestyle Photography, Portrait Photography), all bundled under the Content Packs offering for larger purchases. Brands access the platform via app.trend.io to commission content with 100% licensing rights, while creators join through creators.trend.io to find paid work via the mobile app. The Enterprise tier provides scaled capabilities for larger brands. Trend has joined forces with soona, expanding the creator community and content generation capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trend UGC Platform A curated UGC platform and content creator network that connects brands with vetted photographers, videographers, and creators to produce authentic user-generated content for social media advertising, e-commerce, and brand marketing. Provides full 100% licensing rights to all content delivered.
- Custom Video Content
Quantifiable outcome
- 91.4% increase in conversion rates when UGC is featured on product pages (industry statistic)
Companies that use Trend
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Trend technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Trend partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- soonacoreTrend has joined forces with soona, a studio content platform. The merger brings together Trend's creator marketplace with soona's physical content studios, expanding the range of content options available to brands including both remote UGC and professional studio content.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Trend competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Billo: Billo is a UGC creator-for-hire marketplace that connects brands with vetted creators to produce short-form video ads. Like Trend, it targets performance marketers and DTC brands running paid social campaigns on Meta and TikTok.
- Influee: Influee is a UGC and creator platform that matches brands with creators for content production at scale. It targets the same performance marketing use cases as Trend with a similar marketplace model.
- JoinBrands: JoinBrands operates a self-serve UGC marketplace where brands can browse creator profiles and commission content directly — a near-identical GTM motion to Trend's product-led marketplace.
- Insense: Insense is a creator marketplace and UGC platform offering vetted creators, product seeding, and whitelisted ad content for brands. It directly competes with Trend for performance marketing and DTC UGC budgets.
- Cohley: Cohley is a content creation and UGC platform enabling brands to source creator-generated video and photo content with built-in performance analytics. It overlaps with Trend on the brand side of UGC sourcing for paid and organic social.
Broad incumbents
- Aspire (now CreatorIQ-acquired brand): Aspire is an influencer marketing platform with creator sourcing, workflow, and analytics. It overlaps with Trend on the creator-for-hire side while offering a broader influencer campaign management suite.
- Grin: Grin is an influencer marketing platform with creator discovery, relationship management, and UGC workflows for enterprise brands. It competes with Trend for creator-driven content budgets among larger CPG and DTC customers.
- IZEA: IZEA operates a creator marketplace and influencer marketing SaaS platform connecting brands with content creators. It is a publicly-traded broader incumbent competing for the same UGC and sponsored content budgets.
- Fiverr: Fiverr is a large freelance services marketplace where brands can source UGC creators, photographers, and videographers. It is a broader incumbent addressing part of Trend's addressable market at scale.
- soona: soona is Trend's parent company following the 2023 merger and operates a hybrid virtual + in-person content studio platform. It is the natural broader incumbent comparison as Trend is now part of the soona product family.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Trend social profiles
Digital presenceTrend financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trend leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Trend funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trend M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trend
What does Trend do?
Trend operates a self-serve UGC (user-generated content) marketplace platform that connects brands with a vetted network of over 3,700 photographers, videographers, and creators to produce custom photo and video content. Brands pay per project to commission product photography, lifestyle photography, testimonial videos, unboxing videos, and product-in-action videos, receiving full 100% licensing and distribution rights to all content delivered. The platform offers no subscriptions or platform fees, with creators earning cash payments and free products.
Is Trend a public or private company?
Trend is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Trend founded?
Trend was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Trend based?
Trend is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trend make money?
One revenue line is on record: content creation commissions.
Who are Trend's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Billo, Influee, JoinBrands, Insense and Cohley. Broad incumbents are Aspire (now CreatorIQ-acquired brand), Grin, IZEA, Fiverr and soona.
Does Trend have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trend.
What industry is Trend in?
Trend's product category is Content Creator Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAGAH, UGC Sourcing & Creator-for-Hire Platforms (Non-Influencer Content), with a secondary code of MPAAAHAF, UGC (User-Generated Content) Production & Creator Networks. Its NAICS code is 459 and its SIC code is 7311.