Koji

Market position

Koji competed in the link-in-bio category against Linktree and Bento, differentiating on an app-store model rather than a list of links. At the time of the 2022 Series B it described itself as an app store for the creator economy with over 200 apps. Linktree, which acquired Koji in December 2023, reported 41 million users and about 40,000 new signups per day at that time.

Rather than a static list of links, Koji offered an installable-feeling catalog of interactive mini apps rendered inside social media apps without downloads, an open developer ecosystem with revenue sharing, and avoidance of mobile app store fees. Its founders also emphasized consolidating analytics, payments and notifications for creators who otherwise juggled separate services such as Cameo, Patreon and Substack.

Technology

Koji's platform runtime allowed apps to open directly inside any social media app without a download or install. Developers built apps from "scaffolds" — reusable code templates — which the company said sharply reduced the time and cost of creating new creator-economy apps. Earlier versions of the product let non-technical developers create "mini apps on the web," which were later converted into templates on the link-in-bio platform. The company also shipped Web3 apps, including commerce apps gating discounts on NFT ownership.

Go-to-market

Distribution came through creators placing Koji links in their social media bios, with a weekly cadence of new apps from an ecosystem of independent developers and partner startups. The company also conducted outreach to specific creator niches — for example, working with emerging musicians on selling production, mixing and editing services through Koji.

Creators, small business owners and artists building an audience on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social platforms, plus the independent developers and creator-economy startups building apps on the platform. The founders said they focused on mid-size and smaller creators rather than only those with very large followings.

Geography

Headquartered in San Diego, California, serving creators on global social platforms; the acquirer, Linktree, is based in Australia.

History

GoMeta was founded by Dmitry Shapiro and Sean Thielen in 2016 and began with augmented reality applications. The Koji product was conceived as an outward-facing app store and home screen, initially aimed at developers who could assemble apps quickly from reusable code "scaffolds." Developers gravitated toward building creator monetization and engagement tools, and as traffic increasingly came from creators linking Koji pages in their Instagram and TikTok bios, the company came to be identified as a link-in-bio and creator-economy business. Koji launched as a link-in-bio platform in March 2021. In January 2022 the company announced a $20 million Series B and a Web3 roadmap, bringing total capital raised to $36 million. In December 2023 Linktree acquired Koji from GoMeta and announced that the Koji brand and product would be shut down on January 31, 2024.

Risks & controversies

The Koji product and brand were discontinued on January 31, 2024 following the Linktree acquisition, and it was not made clear whether tools would be provided for creators to migrate their Koji data. Accounts of the platform's scale differ, with creator counts reported as 350,000 and as more than 700,000 around the time of the acquisition.