Heylist, a Montreal-based SaaS (Software as a Service) platform founded in January 2024, solves a critical gap in the influencer marketing space: connecting global brands with nano and micro-influencers (those with 50,000 followers or less) who have been largely overlooked by traditional influencer platforms. The company has built a technology that enables brands to find and collaborate with these smaller creators, who often generate significantly higher engagement rates despite their modest following sizes.

Founded by Vicky Boudreau, who brings more than 15 years of experience in influencer marketing, Heylist automates the entire collaboration process from creator verification to analytics. After raising CA$1.6 million in February 2024 in an oversubscribed round backed by Accelia Capital, Investissement Québec, The51, and other investors, the platform has expanded rapidly with a 36% compounded monthly growth rate and a creator network that quadrupled in one year. 

Now, with its official launch into the U.S. market, Heylist is introducing its proprietary AI search technology to help brands discover precisely the right creators for their campaigns.

“For us, creators aren’t inventory, they’re partners,” says Vicky, CEO and co-founder. “This feature pushes the boundaries of a simplified experience and multiplies their opportunities. With AI Search, we’re offering a first-of-its-kind solution that makes a complex process simple. Both brands and creators gain efficiency and authenticity.”

Democratizing Influencer Marketing: What It Means

What exactly does democratizing influencer marketing entail? For Heylist, it means creating a system where smaller creators can generate income through brand partnerships that were previously inaccessible to them. Simultaneously, it allows brands to run more genuine campaigns by connecting with creators whose audiences are highly engaged and trust their recommendations.

The platform’s approach focuses on making these connections accessible, efficient, and scalable. By automating the collaboration process in five steps: profile verification, recruitment and onboarding, centralized campaign management, real-time post tracking, and live audience analytics, Heylist removes barriers that previously made working with multiple smaller creators impractical for many brands.

Vicky’s experience co-founding bicom, a PR and marketing agency with offices in Montreal, Toronto, and Paris , gave her insight into the untapped potential of nano-influencers. This perspective informed Heylist’s core mission of making influencer marketing more inclusive while maintaining the authenticity that makes it effective.

AI Search: The Technology Behind the Mission

Central to Heylist’s U.S. expansion is its proprietary AI Search technology, developed in partnership with MILA, Montreal’s renowned AI research institute. This world-first feature allows brands to discover creators through natural language prompts rather than complex filter systems.

“Because our creators opt-in to the platform, we have access to their content” says Vicky. “Our AI engine lets us search by prompt, even with image recognition.”

The practical applications extend beyond typical discovery methods. Brands can simply type in queries such as “Midwest moms with curly hair” or “vegan runners,” and the platform analyzes visual content and profiles to deliver relevant matches. The technology goes beyond typical hashtag or keyword searches by actually understanding the content itself.

“Even if there’s no hashtag mentioning hiking, AI can see that our creator went hiking last weekend and might be a good fit for a related brand,” Vicky explains.

In one case, Heylist used a client’s logo to identify creators already using their products without tagging the brand. “We described the logo and found 10 creators wearing their sweaters. They hadn’t mentioned the brand, but we knew they were fans,” Vicky says.

The latest version allows for more precise searching. “You can search for creators who love a specific brand in Vancouver or San Francisco, so we can narrow it down by cross filters,” she adds.

Strategic Market Entry and Recognition

Heylist’s entry into the American market follows successful pilot projects that achieved an average engagement rate of 10.3%, nearly double the platform’s overall average of 5.5%. These results have built confidence in their approach and business model.

“We first started executing campaigns in the U.S. for Canadian brands,” Vicky says. One standout case involved Stefano, an Italian food company that targeted “Costco Moms in the Midwest.” “The results were amazing,” she notes.

After several proof-of-concept campaigns with U.S. brands, the team felt confident in their strategy. “We knew our community was strong enough that we could open the doors,” says Vicky.

The expansion coincides with a major milestone: Heylist won a Webby Award for Best Marketing Platform. “That was huge for us, because we cater to marketers and UX (User Experience) is critical,” says Vicky. “Coming from a service background, I didn’t fully understand why UX mattered so much, but this proved we’re on the right path.”

For Vicky, the recognition reflects her team’s efforts. “This award isn’t mine – it’s for the team,” she says. “What moved me most is that it’s not about me; it’s about Heylist and what we represent.”

Expanding Services Beyond Social Posts

Recognizing evolving brand needs, Heylist recently expanded beyond traditional influencer posts to facilitate User-Generated Content (UGC) creation. This adaptation addresses a growing trend Vicky has seen in the industry.

“We grew our capacity to manage UGC,” she says. “If a brand wants content that doesn’t need to be posted on the creator’s social, we handle approvals, payments, and logistics on the platform.”

Developed over the last two months, the feature meets brands’ growing demand for authentic content used in ads. “Brands love UGC for advertising,” Vicky explains. “They don’t always need the creator to post it – they just want control over the message and the script.”

The American Opportunity: Diversity Within a Single Market

For Heylist, the U.S. represents a collection of micro-markets rather than a single one. “Opening in the U.S. is like opening in 50 countries,” Vicky says. “It’s an incredible playground for testing.”

This diversity allows Heylist to connect with highly specific, localized communities. “Midwest Costco moms aren’t the same as California health techies,” she says. “They’re cooking, sharing grocery hauls – it’s not polished, but it’s authentic.”

The platform also plans to expand language capabilities, operating in three languages to better serve diverse communities, including Hispanic creators. This multilingual approach reflects Vicky’s understanding of cultural nuance across regions.

Creator-First Business Approach

Throughout her discussion of Heylist’s technology and expansion, Vicky returns to one principle: fairly treating creators. While the platform supports organic gifting campaigns, she prioritizes paid collaborations.

“I just want to thank all our creators,” she says. “They’re engaged, dedicated, and put so much love into their content. When I’m tired, I scroll through their work and it reminds me why we do this.”

This gratitude translates into practice. “We’re working to make sure paid campaigns represent the majority of collaborations,” she explains. “Even small payments can make a difference for these creators.”

This creator-first model helped Heylist quadruple its network in one year and develop tech that can connect brands to 50 million creators worldwide. “They’re not all on the platform yet, but we’ve built a way for clients to invite them directly,” she says.

The Future: The Golden Age of Nano Influence

Looking ahead, Vicky believes Heylist is entering a defining era. “We’re at the beginning of the golden age of nano and micro influencers,” she says. “Big brands in the U.S. are finally activating at scale.”

This scale shift marks a turning point in influencer marketing. “What used to be 100 or 200 mailers is now 1,000,” she notes. “Scaling collaboration is one of the biggest trends ahead – and it’s exactly what we’re building for.”

Vicky also envisions even smarter search. “The biggest barrier is search,” she says. “We’ve taken it up a notch with AI, but the next step is to eliminate search entirely. You’ll just say, ‘Find me 30 creators doing this,’ and it will build the list for you.”

Near-term plans include a new funding round, YouTube Shorts integration in early 2026, and a focus on North America despite interest from the UK. When asked what success looks like a year from now, Vicky’s answer is clear: “A strong, vibrant U.S. community and major enterprise clients choosing us because we’re their go-to solution.”

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