Trend

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.

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

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

• UGC content marketplace
• Creator marketing platform
• Video content production
• Product photography services
• Brand content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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)

Named customers17 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• soonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrend 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/trend_io
• Facebookfacebook.com/TrendCustomContent?_rdr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trend-io
• Instagraminstagram.com/trend.creators
• TikToktiktok.com/@trend.creators

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors10 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 Trend