The success of websites like Cameo have shown that people want personalized interactions with celebrities and web3 companies are emerging to provide creators with a way to do that while valuing themselves, Solo Ceesay, co-founder of Calaxy, said to TechCrunch.

Calaxy, a web3 social marketplace, has raised $26 million in strategic funding co-led by Animoca Brands and HBAR Foundation with support from Polygon.

This raise follows a $7.5 million seed round in 2021 with investors like Animoca Brands, Red Beard Ventures, ArkStream Capital, NGC Ventures and Genesis Block Ventures. The seed round also had support from NFL player Ezekiel Elliott, “The Bachelor” Matt James and former PayPal head of Blockchain Strategy Jonathan Padilla, among others.

The name Calaxy is a portmanteau of “creators galaxy.” The startup aims to build new infrastructure that allows content creators, ranging from small influencers to big-time celebrities, to have ownership and equitable exchange of value compared to the current social media landscape, Ceesay said.