Blacktag

What Blacktag does

Blacktag, Inc. is a privately held, New York-headquartered company operating a global platform that connects Black creators with major brand partners for campaigns, collaborations, and creative projects. Founded in 2020, the company describes itself as the largest exclusive network of Black creators in the world, with 988+ creators spanning photography, directing, modeling, music, writing, styling, design, event production, and other creative disciplines. The platform is community-led and operates primarily through direct, consultative outreach via dedicated email channels for both creators ([email protected]) and brand partners ([email protected]), with no self-serve pricing or public pricing model disclosed.

The company's core product is the Blacktag Creator Network, supplemented by a Studios division that produces original content (notably the 2022 film BABM — Black Art is Black Money — which received two Webby Award nominations). Technology is described as a global creator network platform; no proprietary technical features, APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Revenue is generated by facilitating brand-creator partnerships with a roster of enterprise brand partners including American Express, Estee Lauder, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Paramount, Heineken, Delta, Kodak, Neon, and UBS, alongside strategic partners such as Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Splashlight.

Name

Blacktag

Legal name

Blacktag, Inc.

Website

https://blacktag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blacktag is a New York-based global platform operating the largest exclusive network of Black creators (988+), connecting them with enterprise brand partners for campaigns and collaborations across verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creator Marketplace

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (MPACAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Sponsorship & Brand Deal Monetization Tools (MPACAFAG)

Keywords

• Creator marketplace
• Brand partnerships
• Creator economy
• Influencer network
• Talent representation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brand Partnership Facilitation: Blacktag generates revenue by connecting Black creators with brand partners for creative projects, campaigns, and collaborations. The platform acts as an intermediary, facilitating introductions between creators and major brands including American Express, Estee Lauder, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Paramount, Heineken, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blacktag operates a global digital platform that connects Black creators with brand partners for paid partnership opportunities. The company curates an exclusive network of 988+ Black creators and facilitates brand collaborations with major advertisers including American Express, Estee Lauder, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Paramount, Heineken, Delta, Kodak, Neon, and UBS. The company also produces original content through Blacktag Studios, including the film BABM (Black Art is Black Money).

Product overview

Blacktag is a global platform for Black creators, described as the largest exclusive network of Black creators in the world with 988 creators and counting. The platform connects creators with brand partners and offers original content productions. The core offering is the Blacktag Creator Network, which serves as the primary platform connecting Black creators with brands and opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BABM: Black Art is Black Money - the first original film from Blacktag, introducing their core mission in a creative and authentic way. Nominated for two Webby Awards in 2022.

Products and services

• Blacktag Creator Network An exclusive global network and platform that connects Black creators with brand partners for paid collaboration, advertising campaigns, and creative partnerships. Membership is by application for creators and by inquiry for brands.
• Blacktag Studios The original content production arm of Blacktag, producing cultural content including the feature film BABM (Black Art is Black Money), aimed at showcasing Black creative voices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 988+ creators on the platform

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the world's leading entertainment and sports agencies, listed as a partner on the Blacktag platform.
• SplashlightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSplashlight, a media and creative studio company, listed as a partner providing additional capabilities for Blacktag's creative ecosystem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Blavity: Blavity is a media and creator network company focused on Black culture and content, operating across media, events, and creator services. It is directly comparable to Blacktag as a platform that connects Black creative talent with brand opportunities and audience reach in the same mission-driven space.
• Mogul: Mogul is a talent recruitment and career development platform that connects diverse professionals with opportunities at major companies. It is directly comparable to Blacktag in using a community/marketplace model to expand access for underrepresented talent, although Mogul focuses on corporate careers rather than creative work.
• IZEA: IZEA operates an influencer marketing platform that connects brands with creators across social media. It is a direct peer to Blacktag's core marketplace model, though IZEA serves a broad creator base rather than a culturally specific one.
• Aspire: Aspire (formerly AspireIQ) is a creator marketplace platform that facilitates brand-creator partnerships through its SaaS platform. It is a direct peer to Blacktag in the brand-to-creator matchmaking category, differentiated by being generalist and software-led rather than community-led.
• Grin: Grin is an influencer marketing platform that helps brands manage creator relationships at scale. It is a direct peer to Blacktag's marketplace and brand-partnership facilitation offering, though it serves generalist enterprise clients rather than a focused creator demographic.
• Open Influence: Open Influence is an end-to-end influencer marketing platform offering campaign management, creator discovery, and analytics. It is a direct peer to Blacktag in the brand-creator matchmaking category, operating at a larger enterprise scale.

Broad incumbents

• UnitedMasters: UnitedMasters is a music distribution and creator services platform that helps independent artists monetize and partner with brands. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Blacktag as a creator platform, with a narrower focus on music creators.
• Essence Communications: Essence is a leading media brand serving Black women across editorial, events, and creator-driven content. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Blacktag's mission of connecting Black culture with brand opportunities, though Essence's primary focus is on media and events rather than a creator marketplace.

Emerging players

• OkayAfrica: OkayAfrica is a media and culture platform highlighting African and African diaspora creative talent across music, fashion, and art. It is an emerging player comparable to Blacktag in its focus on curating and promoting Black creative talent, though it operates primarily as a media outlet rather than a marketplace.
• The Shade Room: The Shade Room is a digital media platform focused on Black celebrity, culture, and entertainment news. It is an emerging player comparable to Blacktag in the Black culture and creator ecosystem, though it operates as a publisher rather than a creator-brand matchmaking platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blacktag
• Instagraminstagram.com/blacktag
• TikToktiktok.com/@blacktag
• Facebookfacebook.com/blacktag18
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blacktag18

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 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 Blacktag