WAKA

Built creator-led distribution for a Telegram-native social product.

Instead of treating creators as media inventory, WAKA gave them a room and quiz builder, let them bring their audience into a social matching experience, and shared resulting profit 50/50.

100k registrations200 rooms / ~50 active50/50 creator revenue share$220k angel + $80k grants

THE WORK

WAKA started from a product problem: most dating apps bought attention but gave people little reason to trust the room they entered. We designed a Telegram-native social and dating product in which distribution was part of the product itself.

As founder, I built a creator-room model. Creators and influencers with an existing audience received a room and quiz builder, shaped an entry point for their own community, brought people into the experience and shared resulting profit 50/50 with the platform.

The model produced 200 rooms in total, with approximately 50 active, and reached 100k registrations. The public record includes a StartupJedi feature, pitch-stage footage and product artefacts showing the room, quiz and matching experience.

WAKA closed $220k in angel funding and secured $80k in growth grants from EBRD and NEAR Protocol. StartupJedi independently documented an earlier April 2021 milestone: a $125k raise at a $1.5m valuation and the first 10k users following the March 2021 alpha launch.

EVIDENCE / 03 ITEMS