gen.video Buys Lionize // RockWater Advises on Sale // 2 More Client Wins

June 27, 2025 by Chris Erwin

RockWater Roundup

M&A analysis of the creator economy to make you a better operator and investor.

Today we congratulate our client Lionize on their sale to gen.video. We served as exclusive sell-side advisor to Lionize and co-founders Chris Buetti and Austin Rosenthal, so we won’t be able to share many deal details beyond the official press release.

We also celebrate announcements from two other RockWater clients: Unicorn’s $900k seed round led by Powerhouse, and the launch of new content studio Further Adventures.

Let’s break it down…

————

–TARGET: Lionize–

Overview

AI powered Influencer discovery and matching platform
Founded in 2018 by Chris Buetti and Austin Rosenthal
“Technology that provides brands and agencies with a virtual influencer manager” – Chris Buetti, CEO and co-founder of Lionize
HQ’d in New York

Company Highlights

Database of 30M+ creators, with 90K+ creators engaged across 2K campaigns
Facilitated 100K+ creator–brand partnerships
Creator marketplace for exclusive brand deals with 120K+ users

Capital Markets History

Jun’25 – Acquired by gen.video
Feb’24 – $2M Follow-on Investment by Cultivation Capital
Aug’22 – $4.5M Seed Round by Cultivation Capital and ScOp Venture Capital

–BUYER: gen.video–

Overview

Influencer marketing platform offering discovery, selection, and reporting along with other creator economy services and solutions
Founded in 2004 by Bill Hildebolt and current CEO Jessica Thorpe
29 associated members on LinkedIn
HQ’d in Weston, Massachusetts

Company Highlights

Serves clients such as Lenovo, NVIDIA, and Bayer
Spearheaded viral NVIDIA Studio campaign, generating over 7.6M and 14M TikTok and YouTube Shorts views, respectively
Won two Silver awards at the 2024 US Partnerships Awards for TikTok campaign with Lenovo and Microsoft

Business Lines

Creator Marketing Tools: Full-funnel measurement, Affiliate marketing, and Retail syndication
Social Commerce Agency Services: Influencer strategy, Talent management, Content production, and Paid media amplification

Capital Markets History

Dec’06 – $6M Series A with Massthread Venture Partners, Gotham Ventures, and Prism Venture Management

M&A History

Jun’25 – Acquired Lionize
Sep’24 – Acquired UGC platform Bounty (our deal analysis here)

–DEAL DETAILS–

Overview

Announced 6.23.25

Post Deal Ops

Chris Buetti to join gen.video as Chief Data and AI Officer
Austin Rosenthal to join gen.video as COO

Strategic Rationale

gen.video aims to build a social commerce flywheel with Done-For-You tools
“We’re building a next-gen system for creator collaboration and content performance. It’s more than automation we’re helping brands work with trusted creators faster and drive more accountable results” – Jessica Thorpe
Both parties aim to make influencer marketing intelligent and measurable
Gen.video’s advanced influencer analytics will integrate with Lionize’s platform to automate creator discovery and selection for brands. Will reduce manual effort and improve campaign performance through data-driven creator matching

Client Testimonial

“Working with RockWater on the acquisition of Lionize was an exceptional experience from start to finish. Their team was incredibly attentive, always available, and brought institutional-level guidance that elevated every aspect of the deal. They understood the nuances of our business, advocated for our goals, and ultimately helped us navigate a complex process with clarity and confidence. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner.” – Chris Buetti and Austin Rosenthal

–WHAT ELSE I FIND INTERESTING–

Influencer marketing platforms are scaling quickly due to ad spend moving to social media and influencer marketing, resulting from major consumer behavior shifts in media consumption. In turn, there’s growing M&A for IM-focused companies, as buyers seek to capture the future of ad spend. Active buyers include agency holding companies like Publicis, next-gen IM agencies like gen.video, and challenger ad networks like Stagwell. Read more about the M&A activity in our analysis of Publicis buying Captiv8 (our analysis here) and on our deal blog.

Another RockWater client win 1/2…

–TARGET: Unicorn–

Overview

Hybrid digital studio and talent management company
Helps short-form creators transition to sustainable long-form YouTube programming and IP
Co‑founded by Scott Dunn and Chris Gera
Both have backgrounds in digital: Scott previously led talent at Doing Things Media and is also a cofounder of Little Chonk, and Chris was producer at Doing Things Media and BuzzFeed

Company Highlights

Signed five creators and launched two formats:
“Chicken Show” (interviews)
“The Daddy Academy” (dating)
Talent roster includes:
Maxine the Fluffy Corgi, Niko Emanuilidis, Old Jewish Men, Olivia Herman, and Matty Kaido & Gojo

Capital Markets History

$900K seed round led by Powerhouse Capital

–INVESTOR: Powerhouse VC–

Overview

LA-based boutique VC firm founded in 2019
Co-founded by Ian Doody and Salim Mitha
Funded by Evolution Media and CAA alumni
14 associated members on LinkedIn

Investment Focus

Seed and early-stage investments
Average check size between $500K and $5M
Specializes in four media pillars…
Sight (visual content)
Sound (podcasts, music)
Play (gaming, sports, esports)
Live (experience economy, creator-driven content)

Investment History

Recent investments:
Mar’25 – Cheehoo
Jan’25 – Betty Games
Dec’23 – Wonder Project
Aug’23 – Starglow Media
Jul’23 – Closing Theory Studios
Notable portfolio companies:
MasterClass, Wondery, Epic! Kids, Scopely, and Calm

–DEAL DETAILS–

Overview

$900k seed round (valuation was not disclosed)
Lead investors: Powerhouse Capital

Use of Funds

Expand team (production, management, sales)
Scale production capacity across verticals (food, sports, parenting)
Grow show portfolio to at least 12 talent-led series

Strategic Rationale

Allows creators to expand from short-form content to monetizable, long-form shows
Leverages co-founders’ experience in creator-led branded content and digital media
Early-stage capital positions Unicorn to create a repository of IP and subsequent control content distribution

–WHAT ELSE I FIND INTERESTING–

“Over 80% of creators now want to launch their own internet show as having a hit show is the ultimate growth tool to take a creator’s business to the next level. Historically, content studios and management companies have operated independently. Management companies lack production infrastructure and resources. Content studios don’t manage talent. When the two try to co-exist, it’s often that the creator gets the short end of the stick.
Unicorn consolidates 360 management with IP development and treats creators like true partners – by sharing an equal piece of the IP and all business derivatives. Unicorn wants to build a reputation for having the most creative and fearless content studio on the internet and it will only be available for talent who sign under management.” – Scott Dunn (Co-founder of Unicorn and Little Chonk)
In the creator economy, multi-hyphenate founders are the norm; similar to the talent clients they work with, top founders today build across brands, platforms, and newco ventures, and find synergies across their various businesses and partnerships. For example, Unicorn grows talent access, production capabilities, and servicing infrastructure that directly supports Scott and his cofounder’s vision for the creator network of social CPG and media co Little Chonk, the other business he’s a cofounder of.
We’re seeing more hybrid digital talent x studio models like this gain traction, including Fixated, a joint management and content studio, which raised $13M from Eldridge a few months ago. The investment in Unicorn by Powerhouse VC reflects growing investor demand for hybrid models that combine talent management and content production. We expect to see more deals like this going forward.

Another RockWater client win 2/2…

–FUND LAUNCH: Further Adventures–

Overview

Newly launched independent studio focused on identifying storytellers and developing original IP
Focused on supporting filmmakers and digital creators across film, TV, digital platforms, and emerging formats
Co-founded by Steven Beckman and Ben Stillman (NOTE: I’ve known Steven Beckman for over a decade, was my first POC at YouTube when I was an executive at one of the early MCNs…love seeing him and Ben make this move!)
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA
Launched June 2025

Mission & Strategy

Provide both creative and financial backing to creators from concept through IP distribution
Emphasis on “creator-first” storytelling. Prioritizes autonomy, ownership, and innovation
Targeting hybrid projects including streaming, theatrical, short-form, podcasts, and immersive

Unique Proposition

Blended model: part film/TV studio, creator incubator, and investment fund
Positioned to combat legacy media gatekeeping and misalignment with digital-first creatives
Focus on early-stage creative investment, with production, brand, and distribution support

–WHAT ELSE I FIND INTERESTING–

“We launched Further Adventures to champion extraordinary creative voices—from digital creators to innovative filmmakers—and provide the support, structure, and investment needed to take their vision further. Our goal is to amplify bold creators and back original ideas that deserve to be seen. We identify talent at the moment momentum begins—when a story is proven but not yet scaled—and help storytellers make the leap into the next chapter of their creative journey.” – Steven Beckman

I’m the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for creator economy and digital agencies. From buy / sell-side M&A and fundraising, to consumer research and go-to-market planning.

DM me on LinkedIn or email me chris @ wearerockwater dot com