Los Angeles · Since 2017
We backed the creator economy
before it had a name.
Seed to Series A in creator tools, social commerce,
and digital media infrastructure.
Investment Thesis
The builders of the next media stack.
We started Clearwater in 2017 with a conviction that felt contrarian at the time: the economic relationship between creators and platforms was structurally broken, and the infrastructure to fix it didn't yet exist. Most capital was still flowing into content itself. We went the other direction.
What we look for is companies building the pipes, rails, and tools that creators and brands need to operate independently — subscription platforms, monetization infrastructure, analytics and distribution technology, social commerce layers. Not the content. The infrastructure underneath.
Over three successive funds and eight investments, we've watched the thesis prove out as the market caught up. Creator economy has gone from niche vocabulary to a named category with measurable consumer behavior behind it. We were here before the terminology. That's the edge we intend to keep.
We invest at pre-seed through Series A — the stage where operator judgment and thesis conviction create the most alpha, before the market has consensus on a company's value. That's our stage. That's where we want to be useful.
"The shift from platform-controlled to creator-owned is not a trend. It is infrastructure. We invest in the companies building that infrastructure — before the market agrees it's inevitable."— Priya Anand, Managing Partner
Sector Focus
- Creator Tools & Monetization Platforms
- Social Commerce & DTC Infrastructure
- Digital Media Distribution & Analytics
- Fan Economy & Subscription Infrastructure
Portfolio
Companies
See all companies →The Partners
People who've built from inside.
Full team →Managing Partner
Priya Anand
Former product manager at a major social platform and creator monetization lead at a video streaming company. Founded Clearwater in 2017 when creator infrastructure was a contrarian bet.
General Partner
Desmond Blake
Head of business development at a mid-size digital media company, then operating partner at a consumer-tech accelerator. Joined Clearwater in 2019 to lead social commerce and digital-native brand investments.
Principal
Sofia Marchetti
Grew up as a content creator, then studied media economics at UCLA. Joined Clearwater in 2021 with a particular focus on Latin American creator markets and cross-border monetization infrastructure.
Pitch Clearwater
We back the builders early.
We invest at pre-seed and seed, occasionally at Series A when we have strong thesis conviction. If you're building infrastructure for the creator economy — tools, rails, platforms, or analytics — we want to hear from you.
What to send
Email us a brief note — who you are, what you're building, what stage you're at, and why you believe this is infrastructure, not content. No deck required to start the conversation.
Phone
Office
10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Stage Focus
Pre-Seed · Seed · Series A
Geographic Focus
North America, with interest in Latin American creator markets