Deaku Raises £480K To Build “Missing Infrastructure” For The Creator Economy

Deaku, an AI-powered workspace designed for the Creator Economy, has raised £480,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Fuel Ventures.

The round also saw participation from well-known creators including Rob Landes, Charles Berthoud, Rob Van Impe and Mario Joos, the strategist behind many of MrBeast’s viral videos.

Founded by childhood friends Oscar Ferguson and Harrison Chapman, Deaku is aiming to tackle what it describes as the “missing infrastructure layer” in a Creator Economy now valued at $250 billion globally.

Solving a Fragmented Creator Tech Stack

Despite its rapid growth, the Creator Economy still relies heavily on disconnected tools for strategy, analytics, communication and content production.

Deaku is looking to change that by building a single, connected workspace that brings all of these elements together. The platform integrates strategy, analytics, collaboration and AI into one system, helping creators and marketing teams streamline workflows and scale output more effectively.

At the core of the platform is its context-aware infrastructure, which allows AI to understand each creator’s unique style, data and workflow. By housing everything in one environment, Deaku aims to remove guesswork and enable faster, more strategic decision-making.

Built by Creators, for Creators

The idea for Deaku came from the founders’ own experience working within the Creator Economy.

Ferguson, a former NHS doctor, initially entered the space to combat the spread of medical misinformation online. He partnered with Chapman, who had built a video production business working with some of the world’s largest YouTubers.

As they scaled their own operations, they encountered a common problem: a fragmented and costly stack of tools that didn’t integrate. Deaku was created as a direct response – a platform designed to replace disconnected systems with one purpose-built solution.

Funding to Accelerate Growth

The £480K raise will be used to accelerate product development, expand Deaku’s engineering team and strengthen support capabilities.

The company also plans to invest in go-to-market initiatives, including partnerships with leading voices in the Creator Economy.

Speaking about the raise, Co-founder Oscar Ferguson said, “The Creator Economy has grown at extraordinary speed, but the infrastructure hasn’t kept up. Creators are forced to patch together multiple tools that don’t speak to each other. Deaku changes that. We’re building the connected workspace that creators and teams actually need – one system that understands their strategy, their data and their workflow.”

Backed by Fuel Ventures

Investor Mark Pearson, Founder of Fuel Ventures, highlighted the team’s industry insight as a key reason for backing the company.

“What stood out to us was Oscar and Harrison’s combination of first-hand insight into the challenges the industry is facing and product vision. They’re not just building another creator tool – they’re laying the operational foundations for how modern creator-led businesses run. Deaku is positioned to become a foundational platform in this rapidly growing sector, and we’re excited to support its growth.”

Building the Backbone of the Creator Economy

As the Creator Economy continues to expand, the need for integrated infrastructure is becoming more apparent.

While traditional media industries have spent decades developing systems and workflows, creator-led businesses are still navigating a fragmented landscape. Deaku’s approach – that is, combining AI, analytics and collaboration into one unified platform – reflects a broader shift towards platform consolidation and intelligent workflows.

If successful, Deaku could position itself as a foundational layer in the Creator Economy, helping creators and teams operate more efficiently and scale their businesses in an increasingly competitive space.