Mumbai: In a media landscape where institutional capital has historically looked away from creator economy businesses, TIST Media has done what few have managed. The Mumbai-based creator economy company has raised its seed round at a $5.9 million post-money valuation, with Sthira Partners leading the round. The investment it says marks one of the rare instances of institutional funding flowing into a pure-play creator economy business, signalling a decisive shift in how serious capital is beginning to view this space globally.
TIST was built on a conviction that the creator economy, one of the fastest growing forces in the world, was expanding without a real backbone. No reliable infrastructure. No transparent systems. No platform genuinely built for both sides of the equation. The company set out to change that, through its flagship product the TIST app, which brings creators and brands together across India and the world through structured partnerships, seamless payments, and measurable, meaningful collaborations.
The numbers the company says tell the story. In three years, TIST has grown from a lean operation into a company that counts some of the largest brands as partners, delivering creator campaigns at a scale and quality that has consistently outpaced the market.
Tarun Nathani, founder TIST Media said, “The creator economy is not emerging. It has arrived. What has not arrived yet is the infrastructure, the trust, and the systems that creators and brands both deserve, everywhere in the world. That is what TIST exists to build, and we have known this since day one. This round does not change our vision. It accelerates it. I have never doubted that the creator economy will be one of the most powerful forces in how the world communicates, consumes, and connects. The only question was who would build the right foundation for it. We intend to be that foundation.”
When asked about the people behind the company’s growth, Tarun is unequivocal. “The TIST team is the real story here. Every number, every brand partnership, every creator relationship we have built is the work of some of the finest minds I have had the privilege of working alongside. The TIST team shows up every single day with a level of commitment and craft that most companies would be fortunate to find in even a handful of people. This round belongs to them as much as it belongs to me. Building with this team is one of the greatest privileges of my professional life, and I do not take it lightly for a single day.”
“And to every brand and every creator who has chosen TIST, time and again, over anyone else, this moment is as much yours as it is ours. You trusted us before the world caught on. That trust is the real foundation everything else is built on.”
Commenting on the investment, Raj, Managing Partner, Sthira Partners said, “What gave us conviction in TIST was depth. Tarun and his team understand the creator economy from every side of the table – the brand, agency, and creator; earned through years of careful, attentive delivery. That understanding runs well beyond the founder; it sits in the team. We are glad to build alongside founders who treat the craft this seriously.”
Tarun adds a personal note of gratitude to Kumar Vembu, Rajagopal Subramanian, and the entire Sthira team at Sthira Partners. “They saw what others could not. They understood the vision before it was obvious and chose to back TIST at this stage of our journey. Their belief means everything.”
The funding will be deployed towards expanding the TIST team, deepening product infrastructure through the TIST app, and scaling brand and creator partnerships across India and the world.
TIST says that this is not an arrival. It is a beginning.
