Glance, Collective Artists Network form JV for influencer-led live commerce marketplace

Screen-zero content platform Glance and talent management agency Collective Artists Network have come together to form a joint venture called Glance Collective. 

The new company will set up a fully integrated commerce marketplace, where digital creators such as celebrities and social media influencers could launch, scale and co-own consumer product brands, a statement said.  

Glance said that these brands would then be taken to a global audience using the reach of its lock screen product and short video app Roposo (another Glance product), allowing the creators to have an additional source of revenue from their fans. 

“We are creating a unique ecosystem for creator-led, discovery-based live commerce, and are confident that our partnership with Collective will make us leaders in this rapidly growing market,” Piyush Shah, president and COO of Glance, said.  

Influencers tapping into Glance Collective could create brands spanning across product segments such as lifestyle, home, fashion, apparel, beauty, and fitness, amongst others, Glance said. 

However, it remains unclear when exactly the marketplace would go live.  

“There are hundreds of creators who have a large following, but do not have the resources to launch their own brands. Glance Collective will enable such creators to build labels that reflect their identity,” Mansi Jain, vp for content and platforms at Glance, said while commenting on the value proposition of the JV.  

“There is no platform in the country that is currently doing this at such a scale,” she added. 

Creator-led, interactive and live commerce is expected to become a $40 billion opportunity by 2025 and Glance wants the first-mover advantage in this space by leveraging its content offerings which reach hundreds of millions of users. 

Earlier this month, the company had also announced the acquisition of full-stack e-commerce firm Shop101, as part of its foray into influencer and celebrity driven mobile commerce.