Josh Richards, Noah Beck, and Griffin Johnson start $15m venture capital fund

Brad Norton
TikTok stars Josh Richards, Noah Beck, and Griffin Johnson

Josh Richards, Noah Beck, and Griffin Johnson, three of TikTok’s most popular content creators, have just banded together to form a new $15 million venture capital fund.

TikTok stars are continuing to branch out with new endeavors and Animal Capital is the latest attempt from three of the biggest names on the platform.

The brand new venture capital fund aims to be the first with a specific Gen-Z focus, launching with Richards, Beck, and Johnson at the helm.

Together, the new $15 million fund will function as any other traditional venture group. From fundraising to assistance with large-scale launches, the young influencers aim to assist startup companies in reaching a “new generation of consumers.”

“With the team we’ve assembled, I have no doubt that Animal Capital will set a new standard in the investment space,” Richards said in the announcement.

Animal Capital
Animal Capital is backed by a number of experienced investors.

At more than 60 million TikTok followers combined, along with millions more across other social platforms, the three influencers believe they can “really affect business outcomes” for emerging brands.

With the guidance of Marshall Sandman, formerly of WarnerMedia, and Michael Gruen, founder of a prolific talent agency, the team has already been busy.

In the past 12 months, Animal Capital has invested in a number of startups, including new beverage company Super Coffee and unique smartphone app Breakr.

“We want to set an example for other digital creators who maybe haven’t thought about how to leverage their value,” Gruen said. “Digital creators have a lot to offer, they are uniquely tapped into the culture.”

 

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Animal Capital is also launching with a litany of diverse advisors.

From Justin Kan, co-founder of Twitch, to Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, former Google executive, the team is full of experienced investors.

About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com