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Hummingbirds
Des Moines, US · Founded 2022 · Delaware corporation · 115 employees on LinkedIn · 6 known investors
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Hummingbirds is a creator platform that connects food and beverage brands with creators across 60+ cities for retail campaigns in grocery stores. The platform generates user-generated content for launches, resets, and seasonal retail moments.
Also known as Hummingbirds · The Hummingbirds
Founders & leadership
Hummingbirds was founded in 2022 by Emily Steele and Charise Flynn.
Investors · 6
How we know: Ground Game Ventures's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Innoventures Iowa's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: ISA Ventures's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Next Level Ventures's portfolio page · the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us
How we know: a partner's Signal profile · Not right? Tell us
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$9.8M disclosed across 3 of 4 rounds · 2022–2024
▶$3.4MraisedDec 2023 · 12 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(c)
- EMILY STEELEExecutive Officer, Director
- CHARISE FLYNNExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $3.5M
- Amount sold
- $3.4M
- First sale
- Nov 2023
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2022
- Federal exemptions
- 06c
▶$1MraisedJan 2023 · 15 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- CHARISE FLYNNExecutive Officer
- EMILY STEELEExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $1M
- Amount sold
- $1M
- Minimum investment
- $10K
- First sale
- Dec 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2022
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Hummingbirds operates a platform that pairs consumer brands with "everyday creators" in local markets to produce content and drive product trial at physical retail. Brands build retailer-specific campaigns that creators can discover, review, and opt into; the resulting content is delivered with full user-generated content rights, licensed for use across paid, organic, and retail media channels. Briefs, creator sourcing, content delivery, and offers are handled in a single workspace supported by a dedicated campaign team, positioning the service as an extension of small in-house social teams rather than an added internal workload.
The company has added a product called Offers, which ties promotions to specific SKUs and retailers. Shoppers in the company's community discover an offer, purchase the product, and upload a receipt to verify the transaction, with redemptions reported in the same dashboard used for creator campaigns. The stated aim is to connect creator-driven discovery to velocity data that brands can present to retail buyers. Offers can be run with or without creator campaigns.
Business model
Hummingbirds sells campaign and offer programs to consumer brands, coordinating creator sourcing, content production with full usage rights, and receipt-verified purchase offers through a managed platform with a dedicated campaign team and shared reporting dashboard.
Traction
Campaign spotlights reference activations for brands such as Function of Beauty, Ethique, Spongellé, Solara Suncare, Eco Style, Beam, Molly's Suds, Nurri, Slate, MUD\WTR, Oliver Winery, Luke's Lobster, HIPPEAS, WILDE, Purely Elizabeth, Ark Naturals, NaturVet, and Blue Dog Bakery, across retailers including Target, Walmart, Costco, and Whole Foods Market.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Positions itself as a platform linking creator content to measurable retail velocity, combining local creator activation with receipt-verified in-store purchase data.
Combines local, everyday-creator content carrying 100% usage rights with receipt-verified in-store purchase tracking tied to specific SKUs and retailers, reported alongside campaign results in a single dashboard.
Technology
A platform where brands publish retailer-targeted campaign briefs that creators opt into, content is delivered with licensing rights, and Offers redemptions are validated by shopper-uploaded receipts, with campaign performance and redemption data reported in one dashboard.
Go-to-market
Direct sales to brand marketing and social teams, supported by a managed "white glove" campaign team, published resources and case-study style campaign spotlights, and a "Talk to our team" consultation motion on the website.
Consumer packaged goods and consumer brands selling through national retail, spanning food and beverage, beauty, pet, and everyday goods categories; referenced customers include MUSH and Portillo's.
Geography
United States; campaigns are activated in selected regions and retailer networks including Target, Walmart, Costco, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, H-E-B, Kroger, Publix, and Ulta.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Hummingbirds went on to found or lead other companies.
Timeline · 1
launches, deals, and filingsHummingbirds introduced Offers, which lets brands create promotions tied to specific SKUs and retailers such as Costco, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, H-E-B, Kroger, and Publix; shoppers purchase the product and upload a receipt to verify the purchase, with redemptions reported in the same dashboard as creator campaigns.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structure▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Hummingbirdsthehummingbirds.co · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Hummingbirds do?
- Hummingbirds is a creator marketing platform that connects brands with local everyday creators to drive retail trial and verified in-store purchases.
- Who founded Hummingbirds?
- Hummingbirds was founded by Emily Steele, Charise Flynn in 2022.
- Who are Hummingbirds's investors?
- Hummingbirds's investors include FJ Labs, Ground Game Ventures, Innoventures Iowa, ISA Ventures, Next Level Ventures, M25.
- How much funding has Hummingbirds raised?
- Hummingbirds has disclosed $9.8M raised across 3 of its 4 known rounds.
- Where is Hummingbirds headquartered?
- Hummingbirds is headquartered in Des Moines, US.