Hummingbirds Secures $5.4M to Empower Nano Creators in Local Marketing Revolution

Hummingbirds, Female-Founded Startup, Raises $5.4 Million to Revolutionize Local Marketing

Hummingbirds, a female-founded startup connecting hyperlocal content creators with brands for social media marketing, has announced a $5.4 million seed round. This latest funding brings the company’s total raised to $10 million, positioning it for significant expansion.

The innovative platform plans to extend its reach into 20 additional cities by 2025, including major markets such as Atlanta, Charlotte, and Denver. Hummingbirds’ unique approach focuses on localized, word-of-mouth marketing to build trust with local customers, addressing a critical gap in the industry.

Many brands struggle with local marketing due to ineffective advertising, limited budgets, or intense competition. Hummingbirds tackle these challenges by leveraging local creators, such as PTA moms, to promote products authentically. This strategy aims to drive in-store behavior and foster brand loyalty.

The platform enables brands to launch targeted campaigns for residents, boasting over 300 brand partners, including ChopLocal, Cutwater, Goodles, and Olipop. Creators are incentivized with gift cards, complimentary experiences, and free merchandise, while brands pay a fee to launch campaigns.

Hummingbirds distinguishes itself by focusing on “nano creators” with up to 10,000 followers, citing higher engagement rates. The company claims that city-specific content can increase sales by up to 14 times and enhance engagement by 80%. With an average engagement rate of 3-4%, Hummingbirds significantly outperforms the industry standard of 0.7%.

Strategically, the startup has concentrated its efforts on Middle America, operating in over 20 cities including Des Moines, Madison, Nashville, and Omaha. This focus on often-overlooked markets helps brands activate local communities to build awareness and product velocity.

Co-founder Emily Steele, a small content creator herself, recognized the opportunity to assist brands in connecting with local audiences. The company’s name, inspired by Steele’s nickname, symbolizes local pollinators – a fitting metaphor for their business model.

Hummingbirds has experienced rapid growth, quadrupling its revenue and doubling its community size to 11,000 creators. The recent seed round attracted notable investors, including Allos Ventures, Ground Game, Homegrown Capital, InnoVenture Iowa Fund, ISA Ventures, M25 Fund, and Next Level Ventures.

As Hummingbirds continues to expand, it promises to reshape the landscape of local marketing, offering brands a unique avenue to connect with consumers in an authentic, community-driven manner.