Koji is a link-in-bio company that wants to build an app store for the creator economy, and they are one step closer to that lofty goal with the hiring of Apple executive Annie Morita.  Annie’s last gig was running Apple’s app store and media products business in China, according to a recent press release.

What is link-in-bio?  Link-in-bio tools help social media creators optimize the one link they get on popular platforms like Instagram and Twitter.  You’ve probably seen a page full of links that pops up when you click on someone’s link on Instagram or Twitter. 

Koji takes the functionality of this link-in-bio page one step further by offering hundreds of free apps which give creators on social media platforms new ways to engage audiences, connect with supporters, and monetize their following.

Around 50,000 creators are using Koji’s link-in-bio, up from about 17,000 in June, according to The Information.

The Koji app store.  Koji wants to replicate the model of the Apple App Store in its own store by offering up all kinds of apps created specifically for creators using the Koji link-in-bio.  Some examples of what you can do with apps on the Koji app store include collect tips with no fees, embed videos, ask me anything Q&A with video responses and even sell your own ad space with a ‘billboard.’ 

The apps are free but Koji takes a slice of fans’ purchases, ranging from 5-15%.

Annie’s new gig.  So it makes sense that the company would hire an Apple exec that knows how to grow app stores as the company’s new COO. 

Annie Morita commented:

• "The same way the introduction of the iPhone and the App Store disrupted incumbents like Nokia and Blackberry, and radically transformed what we do with the device in our pocket, Koji is transforming the entire creator economy to be a more integrated and equitable environment for creators and consumers.”

Financing so far.  Koji launched in March 2021 and has raised $16 million in venture capital through its parent company GoMeta, Inc., according to its press release.  The company’s CEO is former Google executive Dmitry Shapiro.

Competition.  The space is fairly crowded with the following players jockeying for market share:

• Linktree.  The biggest fish in the pond with around 88 percent of the market; they have 16 million users, a partnership with PayPal and $45M in financing raised from a Series B.
• Others:  Feedlink, Snipfeed, and Beacons.

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