Influeri achieves profitability and appoints a new CEO

"We are setting new standards for global marketing"

The founder declines VC funding and begins expansion into South America, with the standout talent from NA-KD stepping into the CEO role.

Stockholm, 2024-12-20

The influencer marketing company Influeri was founded three years ago by Nicholas S. Jacobsson while he was writing his master’s thesis at the Stockholm School of Economics. Just one year after its launch, Influeri raised SEK 12.5 million from several angel investors and Swedish superstar Zara Larsson.

After just over two years on the market, the influencer marketing and UGC platform Influeri has now achieved profitability. November 2024 marks the company’s first month with a positive result, driven by strong growth and a successful reorganization.

“I am incredibly proud that we’ve already reached this important milestone in the company’s journey. We’ve gone from a startup to a scaleup and built the market’s most advanced platform for influencer marketing and UGC. Influeri is now what I envisioned when I founded the company three years ago,” says Nicholas S. Jacobsson, founder of Influeri.

Historically, profitability has been a challenge in the influencer marketing sector, where many actors struggle with high manual costs and limited scalability. 

Influeri’s success in achieving profitability in a short time is rooted in their advanced AI technology, a high degree of automation and efficiency, combined with key competencies within the company.

"We are setting new standards for global marketing with a powerful and user-friendly platform that simplifies scalability, eliminates inefficient manual processes, and puts data at the forefront—delivering faster, smarter, and more tangible results than any other solution," explains Anna Björkman, the new CEO of Influeri.

The company's revenue has grown from SEK 551k in 2022 to SEK 3.3m in 2023, and is projected to reach approximately SEK 8m in annual revenue in 2024 - an impressive growth despite challenging macroeconomic conditions in the marketing industry in recent years. Influeri is now aiming to surpass 100 million SEK in annual revenue within the next few years and to become the world’s leading influencer marketing and UGC platform within the next decade.

New CEO and Global Expansion

As part of the next phase, Nicholas S. Jacobsson transitions to a new role as Working Chairman of the Board and Chief of Moves, focusing on the company’s expansion into South America and Asia, major deals in the domestic market, and innovation work on the platform.

The CEO role is being taken over by Anna Björkman, who has been CMO and VP at Influeri for the past 1.5 years.

“Anna is a superstar. She has been a key figure in our success over the past year, and I am completely confident that she will elevate our Swedish and European operations to new heights. My focus will be on managing our global expansion, major deals, and continuing to invent innovative products and features.” says Nicholas.

Anna Björkman, who is stepping into the role of CEO and becoming a co-owner of Influeri, previously held the position of Head of Partnerships & PR at NA-KD and has played a key role in Influeri’s growth journey over the past year.

“I am incredibly grateful for the trust in leading Influeri into its next phase. We have a strong foundation to build on, and I look forward to continuing to grow the company and deliver value to our clients worldwide,” says Anna Björkman.

Expansion to South America and New Goals

Influeri is now preparing for an expansion into South America, focusing on Brazil, while also strengthening its presence in Sweden, Asia, and the rest of Europe. This global initiative is part of the company’s vision to become a world leader in influencer marketing and UGC within the next decade.

The company has so far raised SEK 20m in venture capital, including an investment from global star Zara Larsson. Regarding future fundraising and his perspective on VC firms, founder Nicholas shared:

"My observation is that VC firms rarely contribute more than just money. Of course, there are exceptions, but we are now focusing on growth with strategic industrial partners, as well as capital from myself and the other owners of the company. I feel that many entrepreneurs take on more VC funding than they can handle effectively, ending up with multiple VC players breathing down their necks, stacking preferences on top of preferences (preferred shares), and thereby risking losing control of their companies in the future. I think this will be a tough lesson for many - one I intend to avoid."

Final Words

With profitability achieved and a new CEO at the helm, Influeri is ready to embark on its next chapter - a global expansion marking the beginning of its journey to becoming a world leader.