Squid it

Founded in 2014 by Felipe Oliva and Carlos Tristan, Squid operates as an influencer marketing platform based in São Paulo, Brazil. The founders, both engineering graduates from the University of São Paulo, identified a significant challenge for companies: the inability to execute influencer marketing campaigns at scale. This insight led to the creation of a platform designed to connect brands with content creators.

The company's core business is to facilitate and optimize marketing campaigns on social networks by bridging the gap between brands and a diverse base of over 100,000 influencers. Squid serves a range of high-profile clients, including major corporations like Natura, Unilever, and Spotify. The business model primarily revolves around taking a percentage, or a "take rate," from the transactions facilitated on its platform. Additionally, the company assists creators with payment management.

Squid's platform provides an end-to-end solution for influencer campaigns. It automates the processes of identifying, recruiting, and managing influencers, specifically targeting micro-influencers. A key feature is its capability to measure the engagement and return on investment (ROI) that each creator brings to a campaign, offering concrete performance metrics to its clients. For influencers, the platform is free and provides a secure way to connect with brands, manage campaigns, and receive payments, requiring only a commercial Instagram account to join. In a significant milestone, Squid was acquired by Locaweb in October 2021 for approximately BRL 180 million (around $34M USD). Following the acquisition, the founders remained with the business to continue leading its operations within the Locaweb ecosystem. More recently, Squid has rebranded to Wake Creators, integrating into Wake's broader suite of consumer journey solutions while continuing its focus on influencer marketing.

Keywords: influencer marketing, creator economy, content creators, brand campaigns, social media marketing, adtech, digital advertising, marketing automation, micro-influencers, campaign management, ROI measurement, performance marketing, São Paulo, Brazil, Locaweb, Wake Creators, Felipe Oliva, Carlos Tristan, creator monetization, brand-influencer marketplace