Third
Third is a PE-backed social commerce agency formed in 2026 by merging Orca and Sapphire Studios. It helps mid-market and enterprise brands execute integrated strategy, creative, and operations across TikTok, Whatnot, Snap, Meta, and eBay Live.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2026
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Third does
Third is a global social commerce agency formed in March 2026 through the merger of Orca and Sapphire Studios, backed by middle-market private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners. The company delivers integrated services spanning platform strategy, performance creative content, and commerce operations across five emerging social commerce platforms: TikTok, Whatnot, Snap, Meta, and eBay Live. Third serves brands seeking to convert these platforms into direct sales channels, with a secondary focus on the creator community. The combined entity operates from five cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Mexico City, and London) with approximately 70 employees and is led by CEO Chad Hetherington, who previously founded The Stable, a commerce agency sold to Accenture in 2022.
The business is structured as a professional services agency with revenue derived from retainer fees, project-based engagements, and likely performance-based arrangements, though pricing is not publicly disclosed. There is no proprietary technology platform underlying the offering; Third's value is delivered through human expertise in platform dynamics, creative production, and commerce execution, supplemented by studio facilities in Los Angeles and Mexico City. The go-to-market is sales-led, targeting mid-market and enterprise brands navigating the fragmented landscape of creator-led and livestream commerce. The Amaze Holdings co-hosted VidCon 2026 VIP dinner (June 2026) signals an emerging emphasis on ecosystem positioning alongside direct client work. No revenue, ARR, GMV, or named-customer data is publicly available, and the firm has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary tooling at this stage.
Third firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Third
- Legal name
- Third
- Website
- https://third.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2026
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Third is a PE-backed social commerce agency formed in 2026 by merging Orca and Sapphire Studios. It helps mid-market and enterprise brands execute integrated strategy, creative, and operations across TikTok, Whatnot, Snap, Meta, and eBay Live.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Third industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Commerce Agency Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affiliate Marketing & Partner Networks (BPAMALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cross-Border & International Commerce Platforms (BPAMAGAI)
Keywords
Where Third is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Third business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Social Commerce Agency Services: Third generates revenue through professional services, providing social commerce strategy, platform optimization, and performance creative services to brands. As an agency model, revenue is likely derived from retainer fees, project-based engagements, and potentially performance-based arrangements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Third product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Third is a global social commerce agency that helps brands convert emerging platforms such as TikTok Shop, Meta, Whatnot, Snap, and eBay Live into measurable sales channels. It delivers an integrated mix of platform strategy, performance creative content production, and commerce operations, supported by production studios in Los Angeles and Mexico City and supported by private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners.
Product overview
Third is a single unified commerce growth company formed from the merger of two social commerce agencies: Orca and Sapphire Studios. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, Third operates as an integrated service offering that unifies platform strategy, performance creative content, and commerce operations across emerging social commerce platforms. The combined entity leverages Orca's TikTok Shop expertise and Sapphire Studios' performance creative capabilities under unified leadership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Commerce Agency Services (Third) Integrated B2B agency services combining platform strategy, performance creative content production, and commerce operations to help brands convert emerging social commerce platforms (TikTok Shop, Meta, Whatnot, Snap, eBay Live) into measurable sales channels.
Companies that use Third
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Third technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Third partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Amaze HoldingsminorThird partnered with Amaze Holdings to co-host an exclusive VIP dinner for creators and brand executives on June 24, 2026, in Anaheim, California, the evening before VidCon 2026. The invitation-only event aims to foster conversations around creator monetization, commerce, and brand collaboration. This represents a joint marketing initiative to strengthen both companies' positions in the creator commerce space.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Third competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GroupM: GroupM is WPP's media investment group and one of the largest global media agencies. It competes with Third at the enterprise tier for social commerce and creator-led media buying mandates, but at vastly greater scale and with broader media capabilities.
- Accenture Song: Accenture Song is the creative commerce arm of Accenture and the acquirer of The Stable, the agency previously founded by Third's CEO. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Third on social commerce engagements and also represents a potential acquirer or strategic partner given the leadership lineage.
- Tinuiti: Tinuiti is a large independent performance marketing agency with deep social commerce and marketplace expertise across TikTok, Amazon, and Meta. It competes for similar mid-market and enterprise brand clients as Third, though it offers a much broader full-funnel service portfolio beyond social commerce.
Direct peers
- Wpromote: Wpromote is a large independent digital marketing agency serving mid-market and enterprise brands with media, creative, and commerce services. It competes for similar client budgets across paid social and commerce and has comparable geographic reach across the U.S.
- Disruptive Advertising: Disruptive Advertising is a performance marketing agency that blends paid media, creative, and CRO services for e-commerce and DTC brands. It overlaps with Third on social commerce client work and similar mid-market brand targeting.
- Power Digital Marketing: Power Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency with proprietary technology and strong social commerce offerings across Meta, TikTok, and emerging platforms. It competes directly for enterprise brand retainers and similarly integrates strategy, creative, and media execution under one roof.
- Acceleration Partners: Acceleration Partners is a global affiliate and partner marketing agency that helps brands scale performance-based marketing programs. It overlaps with Third on creator/brand collaboration strategy and performance-driven commerce services, particularly for brands seeking to diversify beyond paid social.
- LiveWorld: LiveWorld is a social media and digital agency specializing in social customer engagement, content, and commerce for major brands. It is a direct comparable to Third in social-first agency services and operates at a similar mid-market scale.
Emerging players
- LTK: LTK (formerly rewardStyle) is the largest creator commerce platform, connecting influencers with brands for shoppable content. It is a technology-driven counterpart to Third's agency model and often a co-invested partner for brands building creator commerce programs.
- Aspire: Aspire is an influencer marketing platform that helps brands run creator campaigns across TikTok, Instagram, and other channels. It is a more productized, emerging competitor to Third's agency-led creator commerce offering and is increasingly used by brands seeking to bring operations in-house.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Third social profiles
Digital presenceThird financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Third leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Third funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Third M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Third
What does Third do?
Third is a global social commerce agency that helps brands convert emerging platforms such as TikTok Shop, Meta, Whatnot, Snap, and eBay Live into measurable sales channels. It delivers an integrated mix of platform strategy, performance creative content production, and commerce operations, supported by production studios in Los Angeles and Mexico City and supported by private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners.
Is Third a public or private company?
Third is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Third founded?
Third was founded in 2026. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Third based?
Third is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Third make money?
One revenue line is on record: social Commerce Agency Services.
Who are Third's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GroupM, Accenture Song and Tinuiti. Direct peers are Wpromote, Disruptive Advertising, Power Digital Marketing, Acceleration Partners and LiveWorld. Emerging players are LTK and Aspire.
Does Third have an API?
No public API is recorded for Third.
What industry is Third in?
Third's product category is Social Commerce Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAI, Affiliate Marketing & Partner Networks, with a secondary code of BPAMAGAI, Cross-Border & International Commerce Platforms.