24 cutting-edge social media startups to watch in 2025

What are social media startups?

Social media startups tap into our basic human need to share experiences and form bonds. They build fresh platforms designed to foster new types of interactions and bring people together in creative ways.

Top social media startups

Complete list of social media startups that are worth knowing:

Tribe

Founded in 2014, Tribe operates an online marketplace that connects digital marketers to creators for branded content production. Their platform makes it fast and affordable for brands to source customized photos, videos, and designs. In the past, getting quality branded content often meant high agency fees and long turnaround times. 

Tribe gives companies self-service access to over 100,000 creators from 167 countries. Marketers can submit briefs detailing exact content needs. Creators then submit proposals and samples. Once the brand selects its preferred creator, TRIBE facilitates messaging and file delivery through its dashboard. They ensure creators get paid fairly while brands get rights-cleared, original branded content completely tailored to any campaign.

Partiful

Founded in 2020 Partiful is a startup aiming to make event planning a breeze. They target busy people who want to throw memorable parties without the hassle.  Unlike relying on scattered texts and chats, Partiful offers a central platform to create event pages, invite guests, track RSVPs, and send updates.

They even boast a fun and user-friendly interface to build excitement for the event. Partiful seems to be gaining traction with young professionals and tech founders and could be the go-to invite app for your next gathering.

Gloat

Gloat operates an internal talent marketplace enabling employees to discover and apply for jobs across the parent company and its subsidiaries. The platform gives workers transparency into growth paths by showcasing vertical, lateral and complimentary internal openings tailored to individual skills and aspirations. Workers signal readiness while managers staff critical roles faster by tapping motivated yet underutilized talent already familiar with company culture and systems.

With retention risk detection, succession planning tools, and skills-matched recommendations, Gloat gives enterprises data-driven visibility to cultivate, rather than acquire, their strongest future leaders. By matching existing employees with the best-fit internal opportunities first, Gloat helps organizations optimize development, engagement and retention for today’s fluid workforce.

Nextdoor

Founded in 2011, Nextdoor created a modern town square gathering place online for hyperlocal conversations and recommendations. Features like neighborhood groups, local business listings, and free item exchange aim to foster neighborhood cohesion.

By creating a digital hub for neighborhoods, Nextdoor facilitates local bonding. The app bridges online and offline communities in a purposeful way. Given widespread member adoption, Nextdoor clearly fills a need.

Wombo

Launched in 2020, Wombo quickly amassed popularity for its realistic, synchronized lip syncing effects applied to user photos. The app makes deepfake face manipulation accessible to anyone for humor and creativity.

By showcasing AI’s media generation potential through music, Wombo pioneered viral deepfake entertainment. Their platform allows experiencing joyful applications of machine learning advancing creative possibilities.

Torum

Launched in 2018, Torum incorporates DeFi and NFT features enabling monetization like tipping content in tokens, staking collectible social media NFTs, and earning from quality engagement.

By integrating crypto models, Torum incentivizes participation, ownership and governance. The platform aims to value contributors and enable community-driven ecosystems.

Kumu Holdings

Launched in 2018, Kumu enables users to stream talent shows, sell products, and send virtual gifts to creators. Fans and celebrities engage via live broadcasts tailored for the mobile format.

By pioneering interactive social streaming, Kumu helped energize underserved communities through participatory entertainment supporting new economic opportunities.

ResearchGate

Launched in 2008, ResearchGate enables researchers to share and access papers, ask questions, network across institutions, and stay updated on new findings.centralizing scholarly exchange and resources.

By fostering community, ResearchGate accelerates research productivity, feedback, and new developments. Their open platform cultivates advancement through cooperation between siloed disciplines and geographies.

Socialbakers

Founded in 2008, Socialbakers offers an all-in-one toolkit including organic content tracking, paid campaign administration, influencer management, and automated audience analysis leveraging machine learning.

By centralizing core capabilities, Socialbakers helps consolidate workflows and inform strategies with data. Brands gain visibility and control to improve social ROI.

POPS Worldwide

Founded in 2014, POPS produces content tailored for digital and social media engagement relying on data to identify trending topics and promising new formats. Their slate contains over 50 series each with unique interactive elements.

By pioneering new video content concepts, POPS taps into evolving viewing habits. Their digital-first model favors creative risk-taking and community building over traditional constraints.

Investing.com

Founded in 2007, Investing.com offers a comprehensive suite of financial products including streaming quotes, trading charts, breaking news, economic calendars, portfolio trackers, technical indicators and cryptocurrencies.

By centralizing financial information and analytics, Investing.com delivers a robust resource to supplement investment research and strategy. The breadth of data caters to every trading approach.

#paid

Founded in 2019, #paid provides brands access to a global influencer database sorted by audience demographics and engagement metrics. Companies can browse relevant creators, manage contracts, and track campaign analytics in one dashboard.

By centralizing influencer discovery and collaboration, #paid streamlines the process for brands to identify and activate effective influencer campaigns at scale.

AgoraPulse

Founded in 2015, AgoraPulse centralizes social listening, publishing, engagement, and reporting on one intuitive interface. Users save time switching between applications. Robust free plans cater to early-stage companies.

By consolidating functionality in an affordable package, AgoraPulse provides essential capabilities without overwhelming or overcharging customers. Their model favors simplicity and transparency.

Mys Tyler

Launched in 2019, Mys Tyler has women input their measurements to join relevant Fashion Houses matching their fit needs. Users share and get feedback on looks while discovering flattering, affordable finds styled just for their shape.

By catering to underserved fit niches, Mys Tyler taps unmet demand for community and inclusive fashion discovery. Their targeted recommendation algorithm celebrates diversity.

Linkfluence

Founded in 2006, Linkfluence tracks online discussions across social platforms to provide market insights and reveal partnership potential based on conversation patterns and influencer analysis.

By revealing connections between entities and audiences, Linkfluence aims to inform strategic decisions with social data. Clients can validate ideas against community needs or uncover ideal partners through interest graph insights.

Wrapp

Launched in 2011, Wrapp partners with retailers to distribute branded gift cards to consumer app users as they hit milestones or complete associated interactions. Users redeem gift cards instore or online.

By digitizing loyalty programs and gifts, Wrapp modernizes promotions with convenience while providing data on engagement. For brands, Wrapp drives measurable conversions and sales at scale.

Tonsser

Launched in 2014, Tonsser enables athletes to build accessible player profiles scouts actually use to evaluate talent, track performance through training tools, get expert coaching content, and directly message experienced players.

By providing a development hub and exposure channel, Tonsser empowers youth players’ aspirations while expanding scouting visibility. Young standouts gain control over their sports journey.

SamyRoad

Founded in 2014, SamyRoad developed tools to discover influencers by audience attributes and engagement rates across social platforms. Brands can browse profiles, collaborate on campaigns, and track performance from one intuitive dashboard.

By streamlining influencer discovery and campaign management, SamyRoad powers results-driven creator partnerships at scale. For marketers overwhelmed by fragmented processes, their solution brings coherence and effectiveness.

Smarp

Founded in 2011, Smarp helps companies distribute personalized communications across digital channels, foster two-way dialogue through surveys and posts, and empower brand ambassadorship by equipping staff with ready-to-share content.

By unifying internal communications and advocacy, Smarp helps organizations connect employees to purpose and leverage their collective impact. Engaged and enabled employees become powerful brand advocates.

NewsWhip

Founded in 2011, NewsWhip tracks content velocity across sites and authors in real-time to provide competitive intelligence on high-performing formats, topics, timing and platforms. Users discover popular narratives and optimize publishing accordingly.

By benchmarking content engagement, NewsWhip aims to help brands deliver stories optimized for impact and audiences. Trend analysis ensures content resonates with target demographics and interests.

Pepper the App

Launched in 2020, Pepper users share cooking videos, images, and commentary within a community of fellow food enthusiasts celebrating culinary arts. Features like weekly cook-off challenges foster engagement.

By cultivating an inclusive food-focused social network, Pepper taps into passions that unite billions. Their niche appeal celebrates a universal joy. For any cook or foodie seeking community, Pepper delivers a welcome place to share, learn and appreciate the delicacies bringing flavor to life.

Fishbowl

Launched in 2016, Fishbowl offers virtual spaces where professionals engage in anonymous yet meaningful dialogue. Members discuss workplace challenges, share knowledge, and find camaraderie with like-minded peers.

By fostering authentic exchange, Fishbowl taps unmet needs around professional bonding beyond office walls. Anonymity drives vulnerable discussion and mentorship.

500px

Founded in 2009, 500px features stunning original image galleries, licensing services, online print sales, challenges, and events to spotlight photographers. Community tools foster discussion and inspiration.

By celebrating remarkable photos, 500px cultivates meaningful human connection through visual storytelling. Photographers unlock new revenue streams and distribution channels for their work.

Exolyt

Launched in 2020, Exolyt provides an enterprise dashboard delivering audience insights, campaign tracking, competitive benchmarking, creator discovery, and platform guidance customized for business goals.

By making TikTok metrics actionable, Exolyt helps brands translate creativity into measurable impact. Marketers learn what content resonates, optimize investment, and turn engagement into conversions.

Conclusion

Social media startups tap into our basic human need to share experiences and form bonds. They build fresh platforms designed to foster new types of interactions and bring people together in creative ways.