The Next Power Play: Creators investing in creators

The creator economy in India is no longer about likes, follows, or even brand collaborations. It’s entering a new phase, one where creators aren’t just building their own businesses, but are also backing each other with money, mentorship, and market insights. From actors investing in beauty brands to influencers funding fellow creators’ ventures, a new power circle is emerging: one that thrives on collaboration, community, and cultural capital.

What makes this shift fascinating is that the players are not traditional venture capitalists in crisp suits, they’re individuals who’ve built massive influence, credibility, and fan communities. For them, investing isn’t just about financial returns; it’s about betting on ideas they understand intuitively, categories they know their audiences care about, and founders who speak the same cultural language.

Here’s a look at some of the most interesting creator-to-creator investments, and what they tell us about the future of entrepreneurship in India.

Purav Jha’s Stoofers

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Purav Jha’s Stoofers has been making waves as a Gen-Z-focused streetwear and lifestyle brand. With bold graphics, meme-inspired designs, and a distinct youth-first voice, Stoofers is more than apparel, it’s a subculture. While investment details are not always publicly revealed, comedian Ravi Gupta has invested in his brand. The brand represents the larger trend of creators translating digital fandom into fashion-driven consumer businesses.

Kusha Kapila’s UnderNeat

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Kusha Kapila, known for her razor-sharp comedy and relatability, stepped into entrepreneurship with UnderNeat, a shapewear label that challenges the industry’s dull, restrictive image. Designed to be playful, body-positive, and functional, UnderNeat positions itself as a disruptor in a category that has long been underserved. Its funding round brought in ₹8-10 crore, with Ghazal Alagh among the notable investors, giving the brand not just capital but also D2C expertise.

Raj Shamani’s House of X

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Raj Shamani is among India’s most visible young entrepreneurs, and his venture House of X is designed to help creators launch their own brands. It works like a creator-first incubator, offering infrastructure, funding, and strategic support to influencers who want to convert audience loyalty into consumer products. By bridging the gap between creativity and commerce, House of X signals how creator-led brand-building is becoming a structured industry.

Shraddha Kapoor’s Palmonas

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When Shraddha Kapoor backed Palmonas, it gave the brand a Bollywood sparkle, but its true strength lies in the market it serves. As India’s first demi-fine jewellery label, Palmonas bridges the gap between fast-fashion trinkets and luxury fine jewellery. Affordable yet aspirational, its collections use premium plating and modern design to target urban women who want something stylish but not break-the-bank expensive. Investors like Ritesh Agarwal have stepped in with ₹1.26 crore, helping the brand accelerate its mission of making demi-fine jewellery mainstream.

Parul Gulati’s Nish Hair

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Actor-entrepreneur Parul Gulati turned her own experiences with hair into a business opportunity through Nish Hair. The brand specializes in hair extensions, wigs, and toppers, products that address both style preferences and personal challenges like hair loss. The category has long been niche in India, but Nish Hair has normalized it with relatable storytelling and quality products. The brand gained significant momentum after Amit Jain invested ₹1 crore, a deal that put Nish Hair firmly on the national radar.

Vineeta Singh’s Sugar Cosmetics

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Sugar Cosmetics has become synonymous with bold, unapologetic makeup for Indian women. Co-founded by Vineeta Singh, the brand is positioned as a challenger to global giants, offering affordable yet high-quality products tailored for Indian skin tones. When actor Ranveer Singh came on board as both investor and brand evangelist, the synergy was obvious. Though his exact stake is undisclosed, his flamboyant persona perfectly matches Sugar’s fearless identity, making this partnership as much about culture as commerce.

While marquee names grab headlines, the wider circle of creators investing in creators is just as powerful.

Tanmay Bhat has co-invested in HYPD, a creator-focused merchandise platform that helps influencers monetize their personal brands through curated product drops. His involvement brings credibility in a segment where content and commerce overlap seamlessly.

Bhuvan Bam, besides running his own D2C label Youthiapa, has also invested in HYPD. For him, the move goes beyond financial return, it’s about backing an ecosystem that allows creators like himself to scale beyond YouTube.

Viraj Sheth, co-founder of Monk Entertainment, has quietly built one of the most impressive early-stage investment portfolios. His bets include BimaPe, Akudo, Indyfin, Deciml, Rooter, STAGE, and SuperCluster, along with HYPD. These are not random picks, they’re startups sitting at the intersection of fintech, creator economy, and digital entertainment, all areas where Sheth’s expertise adds value.

Masoom Minawala, the global fashion influencer, has gone from showcasing luxury brands to backing one of her own. She became an equity partner in The Cai Store, a vegan shoe brand that combines sustainability with modern design, reflecting her own ethos as an influencer who champions conscious consumption.

What’s clear is that creators are rewriting the playbook of investment and brand-building in India. Unlike traditional investors, they bring:

• Cultural capital: A direct line to millions of engaged followers
• Category intuition: A deep understanding of what their audience actually wants to buy
• Community credibility: Fans see their involvement as authentic endorsements, not just financial deals

This isn’t just money changing hands, it’s culture shaping commerce. With creators investing in each other’s brands, they’re not only diversifying their portfolios but also building an interconnected ecosystem where influence powers growth.

The result? A new era of entrepreneurship where Instagram grids, YouTube views, and Shark Tank pitches converge to create India’s most exciting consumer brands.