Captiv8
Captiv8 is an AI-powered, end-to-end influencer marketing platform serving enterprise brands and agencies with creator discovery, workflow, paid amplification, commerce, and measurement. Acquired by Publicis Groupe in May 2025 and integrated as 'Influential Powered by Captiv8.'
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Captiv8 does
Captiv8 is an end-to-end influencer marketing platform that enables brands, agencies, and CPG marketers to plan, discover, manage, amplify, and measure creator-driven marketing campaigns. Its core product is the Influencer Marketing Suite (Social Insights, Discovery, Workflow, Amplification, Measurement), extended by a Creator Commerce suite (affiliate management, Branded Storefronts, TikTok Shop partnership), Paid Media Amplification (native Facebook Marketing API and TikTok Ads API integration), Captiv8 Payments, and a Managed Services tier (SaaS+ ad-hoc experts and Full Service+ white-glove execution). The technology stack combines proprietary AI capabilities — the Velocity Index for creator ranking and lookalike discovery, AI-generated brand affinity and brand safety scoring, NLP-based sentiment analysis on social comments, a custom tracking pixel for consideration-stage attribution, and AI-driven content selection for paid amplification — with a public Creator API offering pre-built integrations into Looker, Tableau, and Google Analytics. Captiv8 was the first platform to integrate directly with the Facebook Marketing API and the TikTok Ads API for paid amplification, and operates commerce integrations into Shopify, Refersion, WooCommerce, and TikTok Shop. Its revenue is generated through a mix of recurring platform subscription fees, transaction fees on creator commerce and affiliate sales, paid media fees for in-platform amplification, managed services revenue, and affiliate referral commissions, all priced via quote-based enterprise contracts with multi-year terms.
Captiv8 was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California. The company operated as an independent private influencer marketing SaaS provider through 2023, including a workforce reduction in September 2023, before being acquired by Publicis Groupe on May 21, 2025 for approximately $175 million. Following the acquisition, Captiv8 was integrated into Influential, Publicis's influencer marketing brand, and is jointly positioned as 'Influential Powered by Captiv8.' Distribution now flows through Publicis Creative US, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, and other Publicis agencies, alongside Captiv8's direct enterprise sales motion and self-serve creator sign-up. The platform serves enterprise CPG, beauty, retail, automotive, and lifestyle brands — including Live Tinted, Primal Kitchen, Bytes Clear Aligner Brand, American Eagle (with Travis Kelce's Tru Kolors), Manscaped, Toyota (with Saatchi & Saatchi), mophie, and Coca-Cola (via Publicis) — on a stated 15 million-creator network. Captiv8 has held the G2 #1 Enterprise Influencer Marketing Software ranking for 12 consecutive quarters through December 2025 and won multiple 2025 industry awards including AdExchanger (Best Use of Technology by an Agency), MarCom (Best Social Media Marketing Campaign for Toyota), and six Global Performance Marketing Awards.
Captiv8 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Captiv8
- Legal name
- Captiv8, Inc.
- Website
- https://captiv8.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Captiv8 is an AI-powered, end-to-end influencer marketing platform serving enterprise brands and agencies with creator discovery, workflow, paid amplification, commerce, and measurement. Acquired by Publicis Groupe in May 2025 and integrated as 'Influential Powered by Captiv8.'
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Captiv8 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Influencer Marketing Software
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Influencer/Creator Marketplaces & Brand Deal Platforms (MPACABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Influencer Marketing Platforms (Discovery/Search/CRM) (MPACAGAA)
Keywords
Where Captiv8 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Captiv8 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platform Subscription (SaaS): Recurring Platform Fee for access to Captiv8's SaaS platform under the Captiv8 Platform Master Software as a Service Agreement, with fixed pricing during the Initial Term and 45-day notice for renewals.
- Transaction Fees (Creator Commerce / Affiliate): Transaction Fee structure on the Affiliate Marketing Platform tied to processed links, referral codes, and Qualifying Product Sales on Brand Sites; affiliate payouts subject to a $50 minimum commission threshold and a default Affiliate Payment Term of 75 days.
- Paid Media Fees: Paid Media Fee component for in-platform paid amplification through Facebook Marketing API and TikTok Ads API integrations.
- Managed Services (SaaS+ / Full Service+): White-glove and ad-hoc expert services including competitive audits, talent vetting, measurement, paid amplification, and end-to-end campaign execution as an extension of client teams.
- Affiliate / Referral Commissions: Affiliate marketing commissions and processed-link tracking revenue from brand affiliate programs run on the Captiv8 Affiliate Platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise SaaS contract with Platform Fee, Transaction Fee, and Paid Media Fee |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Creator affiliate payout: Commission Rate x Net Revenue per Qualifying Product Sale |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Managed services add-ons (SaaS+ ad-hoc or Full Service+ white-glove) |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Captiv8 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Captiv8 operates an end-to-end influencer marketing SaaS platform that unifies creator discovery, campaign workflow, paid media amplification, affiliate commerce, branded storefronts, and attribution/measurement. It sells the platform primarily to enterprise brands, agencies, and CPG marketers under SaaS contracts supplemented by transaction/paid media fees, and offers white-glove and ad-hoc managed services (SaaS+ and Full Service+).
Product overview
Captiv8 is an end-to-end influencer marketing platform built around a unified Influencer Marketing Suite (with Social Insights, Discovery, Workflow, Amplification, and Measurement modules) that is extended by the Creator Affiliate Marketing Suite / Creator Commerce, Branded Storefronts, the creator-facing Creator Solutions (Creator Hub & Talent Management Portal), Paid Media Amplification, the Measurement Suite, Captiv8 Payments, the Advanced Solutions Velocity Index, Managed Services (SaaS+ and Full Service+), and a TikTok-focused Unique Solutions track, all accessible through a partner-facing Creator API. Following Publicis Groupe's acquisition announced on May 21, 2025, Captiv8 has been integrated into Influential and is now jointly positioned as 'Influential Powered by Captiv8,' delivering AI-powered creator discovery, commerce, paid amplification, and full-funnel measurement to brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Branded Storefronts: Captiv8's branded storefronts product line, revolutionizing social commerce by bridging brands, creators, and consumers through creator-driven shopping experiences.
Products and services
- Influencer Marketing Suite End-to-end creator partnership platform for planning, discovering, managing, and measuring influencer marketing campaigns, comprising five modules: Social Insights, Discovery (with AI-driven Velocity Index), Workflow (briefs, contracts, content feedback, scheduling), Amplification, and Measurement. Built for enterprise brands, agencies, and CPG marketers running scaled creator programs.
- Creator Affiliate Marketing Suite (Creator Commerce) Affiliate marketing suite enabling brands to discover and recruit affiliates, activate them at scale, integrate with TikTok Shop/Shopify/Refersion/WooCommerce, manage referral links and discount codes, schedule and amplify posts with paid media, and measure ROI with fraud detection and attribution. Designed for performance-based influencer marketing.
- Branded Storefronts Customizable, branded creator storefronts that let creators recommend products in a distraction-free shopping experience, with full-funnel tracking across creators, content, social platforms, product SKUs, and consumer-level data; integrates with the Creator Affiliate Suite. Captiv8 reports 85% more purchases and 230% higher average order value for storefront-driven campaigns.
- Creator Solutions (Creator Hub & Talent Management Portal) Creator-side experience for influencers and talent managers to manage partnerships, payments, and performance, including a Talent Management Portal and in-platform communications, gifting, and affiliate participation tools. Targets individual creators and talent managers who participate in brand campaigns and affiliate programs.
- Paid Media Amplification Paid amplification of organic creator content via direct integrations with Facebook Marketing API and TikTok Ads API, including native whitelisting/allow listing, audience targeting, A/B testing of creators and audiences, OTT/CTV/streaming reach, and unified paid/organic reporting across more than ten ad objectives.
- Measurement Suite
Quantifiable outcome
- Live Tinted generated a 221% ROI and 2,000+ sales in 3 weeks using Captiv8 for micro/nano influencer activation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Captiv8
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Captiv8 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability9 records
Feature8 records
Captiv8 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Publicis GroupeflagshipPublicis Groupe acquired Captiv8 on May 21, 2025 in Paris. The deal (reported at $175 million by Kinni/Quartermast Advisors) was positioned as building 'the world's most powerful connected influencer platform' by combining Captiv8's AI technology, 15 million-creator network, and social listening tools with Publicis's global agency footprint (including Publicis Creative US, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi).
- InfluentialflagshipCaptiv8 has been integrated into Influential; the combined platform is branded 'Influential Powered by Captiv8.' The homepage states the combination strengthens their ability to deliver creator-first storytelling solutions by combining Influential's expertise with Captiv8's award-winning platform.
- Nielsen (via the Influential Powered by Captiv8 platform)coreCaptiv8's Influential platform has adopted Nielsen's new Attention Measurement solution within the Nielsen Outcomes Marketplace (part of the Nielsen ONE platform) to track attention and effectiveness across creator campaigns. Nielsen launched the Outcomes Marketplace alongside measurement partner Realeyes.
- Meta (Facebook Marketing API)coreCaptiv8 describes itself as 'the first platform to integrate directly with Facebook Marketing API,' enabling in-platform paid amplification, allow listing via in-platform authentication, A/B testing across creators/audiences/content, and unified paid + organic reporting for Facebook and Instagram campaigns.
- TikTok (TikTok Ads API & TikTok Shop)coreFirst platform to integrate directly with TikTok Ads API for paid amplification; also operates a TikTok Shop Partnership for shoppable creator content. Captiv8 launched Branded Storefronts in 2024 to support TikTok Shop-style creator commerce.
- ShopifycoreCaptiv8 integrates with Shopify for influencer gifting, product fulfillment, and affiliate/commission tracking. The commerce suite also supports Shopify-powered Branded Storefronts and creator-driven checkout flows.
- RefersioncoreCaptiv8 integrates with Refersion for affiliate referral code tracking and commission attribution alongside Shopify.
- Saatchi & Saatchi (Publicis agency)coreCo-execution partner on Toyota's 'More Than a Ride' campaign that won Captiv8 the 2025 MarCom Award for Best Social Media Marketing Campaign.
- Ogilvy (Publicis agency)coreCharlotte Tansill, who previously held senior roles at Ogilvy for 17 years, was appointed President of Social, Creator & Earned media at Publicis Creative U.S. — part of Publicis's expansion of influencer capabilities following the Captiv8 acquisition.
- LAUNCH Incubator (Jason Calacanis)minorCaptiv8 was selected as one of seven companies to participate in Jason Calacanis' LAUNCH Incubator in 2015.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Captiv8 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CreatorIQ: Enterprise influencer marketing platform offering creator discovery, workflow, analytics, and e-commerce integrations. Directly comparable to Captiv8's Influencer Marketing Suite across the same Fortune-500 buyer base.
- Aspire (formerly AspireIQ): End-to-end influencer and creator commerce platform named alongside Captiv8 as a major player in Technavio's influencer marketing platform outlook. Competes head-to-head on affiliate, UGC, and TikTok Shop workflows.
- Grin: Creator commerce platform with deep Shopify and e-commerce integrations. Closely comparable to Captiv8's Creator Affiliate Suite and Branded Storefronts for DTC and mid-market brands.
- LTK: Creator-driven shopping platform monetizing influencer recommendations across social and retail. Overlaps with Captiv8 on creator commerce, affiliate tracking, and Branded Storefronts functionality.
- Upfluence: All-in-one influencer marketing platform spanning discovery, outreach, gifting, affiliate, and analytics. Comparable to Captiv8's full Influencer Marketing Suite, especially for mid-market and DTC customers.
- Tagger (Sprout Social): Social intelligence and influencer marketing platform acquired by Sprout Social. Direct overlap with Captiv8 on social listening, creator discovery, and campaign analytics for enterprise brands.
- IZEA: Long-standing influencer marketing marketplace and SaaS platform covering sponsored content, creator discovery, and managed campaigns. Competes with Captiv8 for enterprise influencer RFPs.
Broad incumbents
- impact.com: Broader partnership management platform that has expanded into creator/affiliate commerce. Overlaps with Captiv8's affiliate and creator commerce suite but addresses a wider partnership-management TAM.
- Emplifi (formerly SocialBakers): Social media marketing and CX platform with creator and influencer tooling. Adjacent overlap with Captiv8 on social analytics, content workflow, and creator performance measurement for enterprise brands.
Emerging players
- Bazaarvoice: User-generated content and influencer solutions adjacent to Captiv8's measurement and commerce modules. Partial overlap with Captiv8's commerce and creator-content attribution use cases for retail/CPG.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Captiv8 social profiles
Digital presenceCaptiv8 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Captiv8 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Captiv8 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Captiv8 subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Captiv8 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Captiv8 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 Captiv8
What does Captiv8 do?
Captiv8 operates an end-to-end influencer marketing SaaS platform that unifies creator discovery, campaign workflow, paid media amplification, affiliate commerce, branded storefronts, and attribution/measurement. It sells the platform primarily to enterprise brands, agencies, and CPG marketers under SaaS contracts supplemented by transaction/paid media fees, and offers white-glove and ad-hoc managed services (SaaS+ and Full Service+).
Is Captiv8 a public or private company?
Captiv8 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Captiv8 founded?
Captiv8 was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Captiv8 based?
Captiv8 is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Captiv8 make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Platform Subscription (SaaS) is the primary driver. The others are transaction Fees (Creator Commerce / Affiliate), paid Media Fees, managed Services (SaaS+ / Full Service+) and affiliate / Referral Commissions.
Who are Captiv8's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CreatorIQ, Aspire (formerly AspireIQ), Grin, LTK, Upfluence, Tagger (Sprout Social) and IZEA. Broad incumbents are impact.com and Emplifi (formerly SocialBakers). Bazaarvoice is listed as an emerging player.
Does Captiv8 have an API?
Yes. Captiv8 offers a 'Robust Creator API' that allows partners and enterprise customers to import and leverage Captiv8's deep social data directly into their own marketing tools to create one unified tool. Pre-built integrations are available for Looker, Tableau, and Google Analytics, enabling automated reporting and visualization of creator performance across channels. The platform also exposes YouTube API Services (used to offer YouTube functionalities on the website) and Google Workspace APIs (for some features, with data explicitly excluded from AI/ML training). Additionally, Captiv8 integrates directly with the Facebook Marketing API and TikTok Ads API as the first platform to do so for paid media amplification of creator content. Developer documentation is at captiv8.io/measurement-2.
What industry is Captiv8 in?
Captiv8's product category is Influencer Marketing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACABAI, Influencer/Creator Marketplaces & Brand Deal Platforms, with a secondary code of MPACAGAA, Influencer Marketing Platforms (Discovery/Search/CRM). Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7310.