Influencer marketing platform Partipost raised USD 5 million in a Series A funding round led by Quest Ventures, with participation from existing investor SPH Ventures, as well as new investors iGlobe Partners and XA Network. Following the investment, Jeffrey Seah, partner at Quest Ventures, will join Partipost’s board as director. Part of the fresh funds will be for Partipost’s entry to Vietnam.
Powered with data insights gleaned from its in-app polls and user behaviors, Partipost connects brands with influencers who have anywhere between a few hundred to millions of followers. The platform rewards influencers for their media reach and message impact in their curated social media content, determined by their followers’ responses. Founded in 2016 by Jonathan Eg, Benyamin Ramli, and Tony Jen, Partipost began its operations in Singapore, Indonesia, and Taiwan before landing in Malaysia and the Philippines earlier this year.
“Since our initial investment, Jon, Ben, and Tony have demonstrated their business acumen and operating verve,” said Jeffrey Seah in a statement. “They have balanced the need to recruit brand-safe nano-influencers that resonate with commercial partners, and simultaneously pitch to and onboard business partners looking for authentic direct-to-customer relationships as social commerce notches increasing contribution to sales.”
The global influencer marketing industry is set to grow to USD 13.8 billion this year, according to a report by Influencer Marketing Hub. Southeast Asia’s young demographics and high degree of social media usage make the region a breeding ground for influencers and online celebrities. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have the most influencers on Instagram in Southeast Asia. The top industries that advertise with influencers are fashion, travel, beauty, food, fitness, and parenting. Besides Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are also popular channels for influencer marketing.
Since people are spending more time on social media during the pandemic, more brands are working with influencers to engage consumers through the screens of their phones. Partipost saw a threefold increase year-on-year in its total number of influencers from 2020 to 2021. The platform has over 600,000 influencers onboard and has facilitated more than 5,000 marketing campaigns for more than 1,500 brands. Notable clients include Pepsi, Dettol, The Body Shop, as well as brands under Unilever, like St. Ives and Simple Skincare.
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