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Pretty Privilege, a fast-growing community platform that connects members with brands for rewards and VIP experiences, has attracted the likes of Tokyo Design Studio (TDS) Australia and Michael Frazis of Frazis Capital Partners to a strategic bridging round aimed at growing its user base 7.5x by the end of next year.
Launched in May 2024 with a goal to redefine Gen Z marketing by "removing judgment and gatekeeping", the Melbourne-based startup has grown its mostly female membership by 5,000 in less than a month to 40,000 users, but with the latest funds it aims to build that community to 300,000 by the close of 2026.
In that time the company's founders hope to achieve $10-15 million in revenue, while in the short-term they expect to reach month-to-month profitability on business-to-business (B2B) brand partnerships within FY26.
Currently providing free membership but with plans to transition to a subscription model in the future, the company has grown organically with its offering to provide "influencer-level" perks and experiences to those who may otherwise be excluded from glamorous events as their social media followings may not be high enough.
"We created Pretty Privilege because we believe that the Gen Z community deserves to have their cake and eat it too," says Pretty Privilege CEO Loughlan Dalton de Burgh.
"They are the cultural data-set setting global trends and they deserve to directly benefit from it."
De Burgh co-founded the company alongside Giorgia Adkins, Wes Culley, and Talia Datt, a former Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards finalist who founded The Social CliQ and The Content CliQ which were acquired by Merchantwise Group earlier this year.
The capital raise, for an undisclosed sum and facilitated by Hatchstone Capital, also attracted Azura Fashion Group COO Thu Nguyen, Emperor Champagne CEO 'Champagne Dame' Kyla Kirkpatrick, former Basketball Australia president Ned Coten, Forever New Clothing's global director of visual merchandise Michelle Flores-Esteras, and ex-Googler Ben Drew.
"Pretty Privilege is redefining what privilege and influence mean for a new generation," says Tokyo Design Studio Australia co-founder and managing director Victor Tavitian.
"Their ability to authentically connect brands to Gen Z is unmatched."
Comprising a membership base that 91 per cent female, Pretty Privilege has built a community of over 90,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, generating 2-10 million organic views per month.
As the company scales, Pretty Privilege remains committed to flipping the traditional influencer marketing model, enabling everyday consumers to drive brand engagement with authenticity and impact.
"It is very rare in this tough economy to have a startup that is scaling back investors," says Martin Yu, associate director of Hatchstone Capital, an organisation committed to supporting high-growth startups.
"We’re looking to secure larger capital raises for Pretty Privilege in the coming months and are excited about the impact they’ll have in the future of brand marketing."
As an example of the kind of experiences the platform offers, in late March Pretty Privilege collaborated on a brand activation event with Potentia Pilates sponsored by MoveActive, which sold out in under six minutes and had a waitlist of more than 1,000 participants within 24 hours.
The event held at the Forum Workspace by The Commons in Cremorne included a Pilates session with Potentia Pilates founder Caitlyn Mefflin, as well as a live DJ, curated cocktails from Naught Gin, tarot readings by 'GuidedbyBrooke' influencer Brooke Davidson, and a variety of other offerings from brand partners including SLICKHAIR and Bae Juice.
"When a highly engaged community meets the right brand, there’s an energy that’s impossible to replicate. It’s not just exposure, there’s a strong impact, and a sense of belonging that lingers," Pretty Privilege co-founder and chief marketing officer Giorgia Adkins said after the activation.
"We’re pretty excited to see how we can scale this feeling of belonging across Australia."
Dalton de Burgh emphasises that inclusivity is at the heart of everything the company does.
"We’re not just connecting consumers to brands, we’re enabling our community to become the influencers," he says.
"By removing judgment and gatekeeping, we’re creating space for genuine relationships, real experiences, and honest feedback, which is rare and deeply needed in today’s digital age."
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