The round was led by Elkstone, alongside a group of angel investors, which included Jack Pierse, Co-Founder of WayFlyer.

Retrograde was launched in July of this year, and founded by Grace Beverley, Founder of TALA, Jake Browne, Co-Founder of Peblo, and Gary Meehan, Founder of WhereToAI.com. Posting about the original launch on Instagram, Grace explained: “I’ve co-founded a new company called Retrograde that’s on a mission to democratise the creator industry using AI, helping all creators – no matter their size – earn more from their work.

“The context you need is that over the last decade the creator industry has grown & matured massively to the point where there are now millions of creators of all sizes, and as a result it’s become too large for a one-size-fits-all management model.”

At Retrograde, every creator is paired with a personalised “AutoPilot”– an AI-driven talent manager with its own distinct name, avatar, and voice. This digital agent operates around the clock, providing influencers with SMS and WhatsApp updates on potential brand collaborations. While the AutoPilot handles the negotiation process, creators retain the ultimate say in approving or rejecting partnerships. Should a deal not meet the influencer’s expectations, the AI agent will either renegotiate or dismiss it entirely.

The global creator economy is currently valued at over $155 billion, with Goldman Sachs predicting it could grow to a $480 billion industry by 2027.

Since its emergence in the early 2000s, as some experts suggest, the sector has transformed significantly. What began with beauty tips and fashion influencers has expanded into diverse niches, including personal finance, journalism, and travel.

Beverley, a content creator herself with over one million Instagram followers, joined the platform’s development after Browne reached out to her for feedback on the concept.

Announcing the pre-seed funding round on LinkedIn, Grace said: “I can’t thank our investors enough for seeing our vision & sharing our aim of democratising the creator space using AI.

“It’s been so incredible to see the reaction to Retrograde, and to have millions in follower value sign up to our waitlist before we’ve even started onboarding talent all because they share our belief in democratising monetisation in the industry.”