Creator Jordan Welch takes equity stake in AI ad startup MakeUGC
What's the deal? Entrepreneur and creator Jordan Welch has acquired an equity stake in MakeUGC, a London-based platform that generates UGC-style video ads using AI avatars. Terms were not disclosed. The partnership goes public this month alongside joint content and education initiatives.
What does MakeUGC do? Founded in 2023 as a self-funded venture, it lets brands and e-commerce operators create video ads in minutes using over 300 licensed AI avatars and multilingual voiceovers. The platform produces ads for Meta, TikTok, and YouTube without filming or production teams.
Why Welch? He has taught dropshipping and online business to millions of followers on YouTube and Instagram since 2017. Under the deal, he will lead MakeUGC's AI e-commerce education vertical and integrate the platform into his training programs, introducing it to hundreds of thousands of operators.
The rationale: This is less a conventional acquisition than an equity stake paired with a distribution and education partnership. "I am not just recommending it to my community; I now own part of it," Welch said. Chief executive George Stock said the move puts MakeUGC "at the centre of how the next generation of e-commerce founders learns to advertise."
The signal: AI-generated UGC ads are drawing capital and competition — Arcads raised a $16 million seed round, while Meta and TikTok are embedding generative tools into their own ad products. MakeUGC's bet on a creator-led growth channel, rather than a traditional raise, reflects how reach and distribution are becoming as strategic as the technology itself.
Read more: markets.financialcontent.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
