NextWave Talent
NextWave Talent operates a TikTok Shop-focused creator agency managing 1,200+ creators and 150+ brand partners, ranked No. 1 on TikTok Shop, with services spanning affiliate marketing, performance ads, live shopping, and shop management.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NextWave Talent does
NextWave Talent is a privately held, founder-led creator economy agency that operates one of the largest TikTok Shop-affiliated creator networks, connecting 1,200+ active creators (across NextWave and its sister agency On Impacts) with 150+ consumer brand partners. The company holds the No. 1 TikTok Shop Creator Agency and Affiliate Partner ranking, with 10+ partner shops on the platform and a combined social following of 125M+ across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, and Discord. It was founded by Grace Yang, who previously held roles at Yahoo, Snapchat, and Amazon and brings consulting experience with Unilever, LVMH, and L'Oreal.
NextWave Talent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NextWave Talent
- Legal name
- NextWave
- Website
- https://nextwave-talent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NextWave Talent operates a TikTok Shop-focused creator agency managing 1,200+ creators and 150+ brand partners, ranked No. 1 on TikTok Shop, with services spanning affiliate marketing, performance ads, live shopping, and shop management.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NextWave Talent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Influencer Marketing Agency (TikTok Shop)
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Management & Talent Representation (BPAFAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Influencer Marketing Agencies (BPAFAHAA), Affiliate & Performance Creator Programs (BPAFAHAG), Influencer Agencies & Talent Management Networks (MPACAGAC)
Keywords
Where NextWave Talent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
NextWave Talent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate Marketing Commissions: NextWave earns commissions on TikTok Shop affiliate sales driven by its creator network. Commission rates range from 10% to 30% open commission, with NextWave taking an additional agency percentage. Creators collectively earned $15.4M in TikTok Shop commissions in 2023/2024, and the company generated $240M in GMV since 2023 including $172M in 2024.
- Brand Services: Services billed to brands including affiliate marketing management, performance ad strategy, live shopping setup and operations, shop management, video production for brand handles, and monthly KPI reporting and analytics. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed.
- Creator Commission Negotiations: NextWave leverages its collective bargaining power to negotiate higher commission rates with brands on behalf of creators, taking a share of the commission differential as its revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Creator commission rates vary by performance and category, ranging from 10% to 30% open commission. |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Brand service packages are not publicly priced; engagements are custom-quoted. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
NextWave Talent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NextWave Talent operates as a TikTok Shop-focused creator agency managing a network of 1,200+ active influencers connecting consumer brands with creators for affiliate marketing, performance advertising, live shopping, shop management, video production, and KPI analytics. The company earns through commission shares on TikTok Shop affiliate sales (10–30% open commission ranges) and quote-based managed service fees billed to brands, supported by a proprietary Creator CRM and a physical Sample Center in Los Angeles.
Product overview
NextWave Talent operates as a social media talent management platform built around a TikTok Shop-focused creator economy. The core offering consists of a creator network of 1,200+ active creators managed through an integrated CRM system, connecting brands with influencers for affiliate marketing, live shopping, performance advertising, and shop management services. The platform is organized into distinct service lines: brand-facing services (Affiliate Marketing, Performance Ads, Live Shopping, Shop Management, Video Production, and Monthly KPI Reporting) and creator-facing services (Creator Network Management, Sample Center access, Creator Leaderboard, and Collab Opportunities). The Sample Center provides a physical studio facility in Los Angeles where creators access product samples and production equipment. The platform does not follow a modular software architecture but rather operates as a full-service agency model with web-based tools for creator management, campaign tracking, and performance analytics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creator Network Management End-to-end management and representation of 1,200+ exclusive social media creators, facilitating brand partnerships and affiliate marketing opportunities on TikTok Shop for both creators and consumer brand clients.
- Affiliate Marketing Services Recruits brand-fit creators from a top creator network and manages affiliate marketing campaigns on TikTok Shop to drive influencer-led sales for consumer brand clients.
- Performance Ads Develops and implements conversion-based TikTok advertising strategies for brands on TikTok Shop to improve spend efficiency and drive sales.
- Live Shopping Sets up brand-themed live streaming studios, shortlists live hosts, and runs TikTok Shop live streaming sales operations for consumer brand clients.
- Shop Management Optimizes product detail pages and keyword ranking, monitors account health, and improves TikTok Shop seller score metrics on behalf of brand clients.
- Video Production for Brand Handle Devises hashtag strategy and produces TikTok content for brands' own TikTok Shop accounts.
- Monthly KPI Reporting & Analytics Provides monthly key metrics reporting and diagnostics for brand performance improvement on TikTok Shop.
- Sample Center Physical facility in Los Angeles offering product samples, state-of-the-art production studios, live streaming setups, and professional coaching for creators producing TikTok Shop content and livestreams.
- Creator Events Organized offline and online events for creators including brand masterclasses, creator happy hours, matchmaking parties, and brand partnership events with brands such as Fenty Beauty, CeraVe, The Ordinary, and Living Proof.
Quantifiable outcome
- $240M+ GMV driven on TikTok Shop since 2023; $172M in 2024 alone
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use NextWave Talent
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NextWave Talent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
NextWave Talent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TikTok ShopcoreNextWave operates as the No. 1 TikTok Shop Creator Agency and Affiliate Partner. The partnership involves creator recruitment and management for TikTok Shop affiliate marketing, access to TikTok's paid ads support for creators and brands, and direct platform access for account issue resolution. NextWave has 10+ partner shops on TikTok.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NextWave Talent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Open Influence: Open Influence is an end-to-end influencer marketing agency and platform serving global brands. Comparable managed-services-plus-creator-network model with similar brand-side value proposition.
- LTK: LTK (formerly rewardStyle) is one of the largest creator commerce platforms, powering affiliate links for influencers across multiple social platforms including TikTok Shop. Comparable two-sided marketplace model with strong brand-creator commerce focus.
- Aspire: Aspire is an influencer marketing platform with managed services for brands, including creator discovery, campaign management, and affiliate programs. Directly comparable end-to-end influencer agency + SaaS hybrid model.
- Traackr: Traackr is an influencer marketing platform specializing in creator discovery, vetting, and campaign analytics. Comparable on the creator relationship management layer, though less focused on TikTok Shop affiliate economics.
- The Shelf: The Shelf is a full-service influencer marketing agency running creator campaigns for brands. Comparable agency model, though NextWave's TikTok Shop specialization and affiliate/commission revenue mix differentiate it.
- Grin: Grin is an influencer marketing platform focused on creator management, gifting, and affiliate programs for direct-to-consumer brands. Comparable in affiliate-driven creator commerce, though focused on broader social platforms rather than TikTok Shop specialization.
- IZEA: IZEA is an influencer marketing platform and agency that connects brands with creators for sponsored content and affiliate campaigns. Highly comparable to NextWave's managed influencer/affiliate model, though broader across platforms beyond TikTok Shop.
- CreatorIQ: CreatorIQ is an enterprise influencer marketing platform used by major brands to run creator campaigns at scale. Comparable as a creator relationship management and campaign analytics layer, though more enterprise SaaS and less commerce/affiliate than NextWave.
- Viral Nation: Viral Nation operates both a creator talent agency and an influencer marketing platform, managing creators end-to-end for brand partnerships. Closest direct peer combining talent representation with brand campaign execution, similar to NextWave's agency-plus-network structure.
Broad incumbents
- Later: Later is a broader social media marketing and influencer platform with creator management tools and an influencer marketplace (Later Influence). Adjacent as a creator marketplace competitor, though broader in scope than TikTok Shop affiliate specialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NextWave Talent social profiles
Digital presenceNextWave Talent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NextWave Talent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
NextWave Talent subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
NextWave Talent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NextWave Talent 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 NextWave Talent
What does NextWave Talent do?
NextWave Talent operates as a TikTok Shop-focused creator agency managing a network of 1,200+ active influencers connecting consumer brands with creators for affiliate marketing, performance advertising, live shopping, shop management, video production, and KPI analytics. The company earns through commission shares on TikTok Shop affiliate sales (10–30% open commission ranges) and quote-based managed service fees billed to brands, supported by a proprietary Creator CRM and a physical Sample Center in Los Angeles.
Is NextWave Talent a public or private company?
NextWave Talent is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was NextWave Talent founded?
NextWave Talent was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NextWave Talent based?
NextWave Talent is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does NextWave Talent make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Marketing Commissions are the primary driver. The others are brand Services and creator Commission Negotiations.
Who are NextWave Talent's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Open Influence, LTK, Aspire, Traackr, The Shelf, Grin, IZEA, CreatorIQ and Viral Nation. Later is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does NextWave Talent have an API?
No public API is recorded for NextWave Talent.
What industry is NextWave Talent in?
NextWave Talent's product category is Influencer Marketing Agency (TikTok Shop). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAHAB, Creator Management & Talent Representation, with a secondary code of BPAFAHAA, Influencer Marketing Agencies. Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.