Zap Tech buys creator platform Medley for $5M, taps founder to lead i42 studio
What's the deal? Zap TechDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Medley, an all-in-one website builder for creators, for $5m. Medley has been folded into i42Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Zap Tech's venture studio, with its loyalty and verification technology built into the studio's portfolio of products.
What does Medley do? Founded in August 2021 by Tom Littler and Ben Doherty, Medley let creators build their entire online presence in one place — a website, a shop to sell products, and rewards for their community. Its core was a loyalty engine that verified what community members had actually done, such as following on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, subscribing to a mailing list, or buying across platforms.
The strategic rationale: That verification technology, rather than a simple email capture, is what Zap Tech is embedding across i42's products. Rather than just collecting email addresses, it lets creators reward genuine engagement with discounts and bonuses.
The key hire: Following the acquisition, Medley founder Tom Littler joined Zap Tech to lead product across i42's venture portfolio, extending his remit from a single startup to the studio's full slate of products.
Why now? Medley reached the deal roughly a year after raising a £250,000 seed round led by Fuel VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in March 2023. Hundreds of creators signed up over that period.
The signal: The deal shows loyalty and verification tools becoming a strategic asset for creator platforms, and how a venture studio can absorb both a young company's technology and its founder to build across a wider portfolio.
Read more: fuel.ventures
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
