- Creator platform FYPM raised $275,000 through Instagram Stories.
- Founder Lindsey Lee Lugrin shared fundraising details with her followers.
- The social media-based strategy aligns with FYPM’s mission to empower influencers through payment transparency.
FYPM, a platform empowering influencers with payment data, took an unconventional route to raise their latest round of funding. The company secured $275,000 solely by posting on Instagram Stories, skipping traditional pitch decks entirely.
Engaging strategy for investment
FYPM founder Lindsey Lee Lugrin shared the fundraising details straight to her followers – the terms, amount raised, and money still needed.
She interspersed “thirst trap” photos between slides, admitting the tactic drives engagement. In the end, her social media-centric strategy paid off.
Empowering influencers through transparency
The round’s investors include finance figures and influencers themselves, like Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso, as a platform for creators made by a creator, the informal, social-first approach aligns with FYPM’s mission.
FYPM operates like a “Glassdoor for influencers,” allowing them to review brands they’ve worked with and share critical payment details often obfuscated in the industry. Lugrin herself struggled with non-payment and underpayment as a model early in her career.
By making rates transparent, FYPM aims to help creators understand their value and earning potential. As the platform rebuilds its website to be more scalable, the fresh funding will also further product growth and hiring.
Lugrin hopes democratizing payment data leads to financial freedom and power for often-exploited influencers. Her viral Instagram fundraiser shows that even capital can come from grassroots social channels with the right community backing.
