Gearlink AI streamlines the creator partnership process with technology that automates discovery, contract management, and performance tracking, while preserving human decision-making. Founded in February 2025 by Josh Magare and a team of technical co-founders, including Kuo Wang and Jack Cho, the St. Louis-based startup serves marketing managers at brands struggling with the time-intensive process of finding and managing creator relationships.

“Creator discovery is difficult and time-consuming. Finding the right fit is hard,” Josh explains. “Deal-making can be tough, too. Communication breaks down, time gets wasted, and things get lost in translation. Managing creators is challenging, and tracking ROI [Return on Investment] is just as difficult.”

Before launching Gearlink, Josh co-founded Papertrail Technologies, a digital solution for vehicle history records, which gained recognition at Washington University in St. Louis by co-winning the Olin Cup at the university’s Olin Business School in 2023. This technical foundation informs Gearlink’s approach to creator marketing challenges.

“Talking with others in similar positions, we kept running into the same problems with creator marketing,” Josh shares. “We knew we had the ability and experience to solve them in a way that would be useful.”

The technical team’s background enables them to develop solutions that address problems beyond the surface level. “We’re all technical founders, and that’s been key for us,” Josh explains. “There’s no one here just selling. We deeply understand the problems and the solutions we’ve built, and how to integrate them for a brand.”

Gearlink specifically targets brands seeking more efficient ways to identify appropriate creators, manage partnerships, and measure results without sacrificing quality or genuine connection. Early clients include 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab, automotive accessories company Hero Covers, and camera and gaming gear manufacturer Geekoto Technology.

What is Gearlink’s Mission?

At its core, Gearlink emphasizes saving time without sacrificing control. “Our goal is to reshape where your time is spent,” Josh says. “Instead of being stuck in the socials or trying to build lists, we take that work off your plate so you can focus elsewhere while still keeping full control.”

This balance between automation and human oversight addresses a key tension in creator marketing. According to Josh, brands need efficient processes, but don’t want to surrender critical decision-making to algorithms or lose the genuine connections that make creator partnerships valuable.

Gearlink offers multiple services that work together: AI-powered creator discovery that emulates a brand’s ideal customer profile, automated contract compliance monitoring, a secure escrow payment system, and analytics consolidated in one place. 

As Josh explains regarding a client: “They’re using Gearlink AI to track UTMs [Urchin Tracking Modules] and get analytics on all their creators and posts without jumping across different dashboards or services.”

Gearlink serves both sides of the creator economy marketplace. “We’re not here to just help brands at the cost of creators. It takes both sides to make a partnership work,” Josh says.

AI-Powered Discovery

Central to Gearlink’s technical approach is its method for creator discovery, which differs from traditional databases and search functions. Rather than relying on static lists, Gearlink’s AI system emulates the interests and behaviors of a brand’s ideal customers.

“Many companies offer databases or search functions, or you can search hashtags yourself,” Josh explains. “Instead, we emulate your ideal customer profile.”

This dynamic keeps pace with changing trends and the creator field. “We know best what we’re into right now,” Josh says. “I love mountain biking, so I’d be a great resource for a company looking for a mountain biking influencer. We emulate that kind of audience to keep brands on top of trends.”

The technology effectively mirrors how human marketing teams would ideally identify partners if they had unlimited time and resources.

Unified Analytics and Real-Time Performance Tracking

Beyond discovery, another significant pain point for brands is understanding the actual impact of creator partnerships. “It’s tough to know if you’re getting value back from what you spend,” Josh says. “Are you driving growth, or just throwing money into the void?”

Gearlink tackles this challenge through integrated analytics that consolidate data from multiple sources into a single dashboard. As Josh shares, 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab has found particular value in this feature. “They really struggled with ROI tracking and clear analytics,” he says. “With Gearlink AI, they can track UTMs and see analytics for all their creators and posts in one place.”

According to Josh, the real-time nature of these analytics enables faster decision-making and strategy adjustments. “Brands can see in real time what’s happening, what’s trending, what’s working and what isn’t,” he says. “The faster you have data, the faster you can decide.”

Trust Through Automated Compliance and Escrow

Trust issues affect creator partnerships on both sides. “Unfortunately, ghosting still happens on both sides, wasting time for everyone,” Josh observes. Payment disputes further complicate relationships, with both brands and creators having experienced dishonesty or broken agreements.

Gearlink’s solution includes automated compliance monitoring that can verify when contract terms have been met. “Payment release can be tied to contract terms our product verifies, instead of someone checking socials every day,” Josh says.

This automation connects directly to Gearlink’s escrow service, which provides security for both parties. “We offer an escrow service which allows creators and brands to have peace of mind that payment will be delivered upon completion,” Josh says. “Creators can focus on their work without worrying about when they’ll get paid, because it’s coming from a trusted third party rather than a brand.”

Customization Over Cookie-Cutter Solutions

Despite offering a technology platform, Gearlink avoids one-size-fits-all approaches. “We don’t have a playbook,” Josh says. “It’s very modular. We want to understand your problems and use case, then figure out the best solution.”

This customization also extends to their pricing model. “Since this is enterprise software, it’s more of an à la carte system,” Josh explains. “We don’t use strict price tiers. We build to the company’s needs and integrate properly with their workflow.”

The company’s implementation approach is equally flexible. “We can be as hands-on or hands-off as you want,” Josh says, revealing that Gearlink offers clients ongoing consultation and support.

Through adaptability, the company aims to solve real problems rather than simply selling technology. “Our goal is to actually make an impact and help, not just take something for ourselves,” Josh says.

Nano and Micro-Influencer Focus

Looking forward, Josh has clear convictions about where creator marketing is headed. “I think nano and micro influencers are the future of brand partnerships,” he states.

This perspective guides Gearlink in creator discovery and their future plans. “Micro and nano influencers bring a lot of value, especially when you look at engagement,” Josh explains. “The trust from a small, tight-knit audience – one that’s grown with you – is deeper and often more impactful than a big name people just scroll past.”

This vision contrasts with what Josh sees as a common mistake among marketing executives. “A lot of people chase the biggest names right away, and I’d discourage that,” he says. “You can build more trust and sustainable growth by finding good creators to build long-term partnerships with. Over time, their audiences start to trust you more, too.”

To support this vision, Gearlink plans to launch a creator academy in the coming months, mentoring growing creators and helping them understand what brands want, based on the company’s experience working with both sides of the marketplace.

Continuous Improvement Through Feedback

While many startups race to scale, Gearlink maintains a disciplined focus on gathering and implementing feedback. 

“Every company should constantly take in feedback and adapt as customer needs change,” Josh says. “As the creator marketing field evolves, you can’t get too comfortable with your product.”

This commitment to improvement defines Josh’s perspective on what success means. When it comes to his goals for the next 12 to 18 months, he emphasizes impact over metrics. “I’d be happiest knowing we truly solved the issues we set out to fix for brands,” he reflects. “My priority is solving the problem efficiently, and the rest will follow.”

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