Creator Fund Slow Ventures announces its first investment from the newly launched $60 million Creator Fund. They’ve supported hit woodworking YouTuber Jonathan Katz-Moses, including a $2 million investment. This investment represents another exciting step for the fund, which is designed to invest in creators at the very beginning of their entrepreneurial journeys. As a result, Katz-Moses has attracted an astounding audience of over 600,000 with almost 75 million video views. Now, he has plans to use this funding to continue to scale his woodworking brand and grow his product line.
Katz-Moses runs a large, 30,000-square-foot shop in Santa Barbara. His woodworking journey didn’t fully begin until 2010 when he encountered a life-changing trauma. Following a vicious attack that resulted in a broken eye socket and groin, with gashes that required 80 stitches to repair, he found peace in woodworking. He fully accepted it as a cathartic and liberating form of therapy and self-expression. With each passing year, he’s been able to parlay his enthusiasm into a more successful enterprise. Today, he even sells his own line of woodworking tools!
The Creator Fund, which was launched in February of 2023, saw more than 700 applications come through before choosing Katz-Moses for this inaugural investment. In March, Billy Parks of Slow Ventures called Katz-Moses’s potential creator-entrepreneur path. He introduced himself to him to see what kinds of opportunities there might be. Parks praised Katz-Moses’s commitment when I stopped by his workshop on a recent Sunday.
“When we visited him in his 30,000-square-foot shop in Santa Barbara, we were blown away by his serious and long-term commitment to the brand and building a scaled business,” – Billy Parks
Slow Ventures would love to partner with more creators, like Katz-Moses. Each of these folks have established powerful communities and earned their power in their respective crafts. The fund is designed to help equip creators with the tools they need to start building their businesses. These ventures will be rooted in sustainability and grant the creators complete ownership and control.
Parks elaborated on the vision behind the Creator Fund. It is meant to reward those creators who effectively multiply their success long after their first hit.
“The pandemic accelerated direct-to-consumer growth for many. But the real signal is in the ones who’ve maintained and grown past that boom, which shows they can build something lasting and sustainable,” – Billy Parks
Katz-Moses is excited to use the funding to expand his reach beyond YouTube and social media.
“The goal is to post across all major platforms,” – Jonathan Katz-Moses
Nevertheless, even with all the excitement of the new announcement, he’s clearly signaled that YouTube will still be his main priority.
“But our primary focus will always be YouTube.” – Jonathan Katz-Moses
Parks is confident that the same attributes which enable creators to thrive as influencers will map to successful leadership in business. The collaboration with Katz-Moses is just one demonstration of Slow Ventures’ efforts to cultivate entrepreneurship in today’s creators.
“Not chasing fame but building real businesses that they own and control,” – Billy Parks
This art-of-the-possible philosophy pairs well with the fund’s stated objective of nurturing enterprises with deep roots and long-lasting growth.
