Passes Inc.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social media, Creator economy |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Founder | Lucy Guo |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Lucy Guo (CEO) |
| Products | Subscription platform, CRM tools |
| Services | Content monetization, Fan engagement |
| Website | www |
Passes Inc. (founded in 2022) is an American creator monetization and social media platform. It allows content creators to earn revenue directly from their audiences through subscriptions, gated content, and personalized interactions. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.[1]
History
Passes was founded in 2022 by Lucy Guo, a co-founder of the artificial intelligence company Scale AI.[2]
The company raised $9 million in seed funding in 2022, led by Multicoin Capital, with participation from Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media, Jake Paul’s Anti Fund, and Kevin Hartz, Eventbrite co-founder.[3] Two years later, Passes completed a $40 million Series A funding round led by Bond Capital, with additional participation from Crossbeam Ventures and Skims co-founders Emma and Jens Grede. As of 2025, Passes has raised around $50 million in venture capital funding[4] and has paid more than $100 million to creators.[5]
In July 2023, Passes acquired Fanhouse, a competing creator-monetization platform.[6] The following year, the company expanded its operations to include the name, image, and likeness (NIL) market.[3]
Platform features and business model
Passes operates as a subscription-based social media platform that allows creators with at least 100,000 followers on other social media platforms to monetize fan engagement. Creators can offer paid subscriptions, subscriber-only posts, direct messaging, livestreams, one-on-one video calls, tipping, and digital merchandise.[4] The company earns revenue through a revenue-sharing model, taking a variable percentage of creator earnings, with certain plans also including transaction fees depending on the services used.[7]
The platform integrates analytics tools, automated sales messaging, tools for live-streaming, tiered subscription levels and content-protection features such as anti-screenshot and anti-screen-recording technology.[4] It also includes CRM tools (customer relationship management system), used by creators to track audience activity and spending patterns.[8]
The platform hosts more personal or niche content that creators may avoid posting on algorithm-driven platforms such as TikTok or Instagram due to engagement concerns. Guo has described creators on Passes as small businesses that may expand their operations with support from their audiences.[4] Passes' platform supports multiple verticals including lifestyle creators, streamers, athletes, etc.[9][10]
Controversies
Lawsuit alleging distribution of explicit content involving a minor
In 2025, Passes and its founder Guo faced a civil lawsuit alleging the distribution of sexually explicit content involving a minor by third parties claiming affiliation with the platform. The company denied the allegation stating that individuals involved were not authorized representatives on the Passes platform.[11][12][13]
Other legal disputes
In 2024, Fanfix filed a lawsuit alleging unfair competition and misuse of confidential information. Passes rejected the allegation.[14][15]
See also
- Creator economy
- Subscription business model
- Influencer marketing
- Customer relationship management
- Patreon
- OnlyFans
- Fanfix
References
- ^ Brock, James (2024-03-25). "Passes: Bypassing the Brands". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ "Lucy Guo Profile". Forbes. 2025-06-03. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ^ a b Manfre, Dylan (2024-06-13). "Creator Platform Passes Leans Into NIL to Grow Its Business". Sportico.com. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ^ a b c d Hinchliffe, Emma (2024-02-29). "Lucy Guo's Passes raises $40 million Series A led by Bond". Fortune. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ^ Gagne, Yasmin. "AI made her a billionaire. Now she's using it to help creators maximize their earnings". fastcompany.com. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ^ Silberling, Amanda (2023-07-14). "Passes acquired Fanhouse, but some creators are apprehensive". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ^ Muppidi, Sri. "Lucy Guo's second act: After the 29-year-old left Scale AI, she has the 'itch to build' something new". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ^ Shepherd, Ian (2024-07-31). "Meet The Entrepreneur Turning Content Creators Into Millionaires". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ Tudoran, Paula. "Lucy Guo, Billionaire Behind Scale AI, Launches Passes For Celebs Like Olivia Dunne And Bella Thorne To Transform Creator Economy". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ "Michigan athletes get access to school brands for NIL in Passes partnership". Sports Business Journal. 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ Nesi, Chris (2025-03-03). "Lucy Guo sued for allegedly allowing child porn on her social media platform for influencers and fans". Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ Martin, Iain. "How Underage Creators Threatened Lucy Guo's OnlyFans Rival Passes". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2025-12-13. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "Influencer Sues Social Media Platform Passes for Allegedly Exploiting Her as a Minor". People.com. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "Content subscription platform says rival poached talent". dailyjournal. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ^ Jones, Rachyl. "Exclusive: 29-year-old self-made millionaire Lucy Guo follows up her unicorn Scale AI with a $40 million Series A for new creator economy venture, Passes". Fortune. Retrieved 2026-03-12.