Manifest Financial’s September 2025 acquisition of AI startup Nucreator signals a new phase in how fintech is powering the creator economy. The Los Angeles–based company, founded in 2024, is expanding from managing creators’ finances to helping them generate new income streams through brand partnerships.

“Creators are the next founders,” says co-founder and CEO Michael Cavallaro. “We want to give them the tools to build their businesses, and feel that moment when it’s working.”

Michael, an investment banker with two decades in financial services and fintech, spent years advising institutions on payments, blockchain, and mergers before turning his focus to digital entrepreneurs. Traditional banks, he noticed, had failed to serve the new class of creators who earn across multiple platforms, often with unpredictable income streams. 

“Creators still struggle to access basic financial products like credit, business banking, and payments because the traditional system doesn’t recognize them as legitimate entrepreneurs,” he says.

Together with Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Minelli, a fintech veteran who previously led product strategy at Kasasa, Michael set out to build an embedded banking platform that meets creators where they work, integrating payments, savings, and business tools into a single app. 

“My background ranges from operations to product to client success,” Jennifer says. “At Manifest, that means making sure everything we build truly solves a creator pain point.”

That foundation paved the way for the company’s acquisition of Nucreator, an AI-powered platform that helps creators proactively discover and secure brand deals. For Manifest, it’s a strategic shift, from being a financial management platform to becoming a growth engine for the creator economy.

The Acquisition That Redefines the Platform

Described by Michael as an “organically born partnership,” the deal came together after meeting Nucreator founder Ben Marks at a creator-economy event in Austin.

“Opportunities like this happen when people meet and realize they’re aligned,” Michael says. “We weren’t planning to acquire an AI-enabled platform in our roadmap, but the fit was undeniable. We understood each other’s missions immediately.”

Nucreator’s software reverses the traditional influencer-marketing dynamic. Instead of waiting for brand offers, creators use Nucreator to identify which brands are actively spending with similar creators, get verified decision-maker contacts, and automate outreach with intent-based AI.

“It puts control into the creator’s hands,” Jennifer explains. “Creators spend so much time manually researching and pitching brands. Nucreator compresses that time and automates those steps. It lets them focus on their craft.”

By integrating Nucreator into Manifest’s platform, Michael and Jennifer note that creators will be able to discover opportunities, execute campaigns, track outreach, and manage income seamlessly in one financial dashboard.

Managing and Making Money Under One Roof

For Manifest, the acquisition isn’t just about technology. It’s a step toward unifying the financial workflow for creators.

Nucreator will remain a standalone brand under Manifest’s umbrella, continuing to serve creators, agents, and managers broadly. Over time, its AI tools will be integrated into Manifest’s ecosystem, while Manifest’s payment rails will be embedded into Nucreator’s platform to ensure faster payouts.

“We’re bringing the Manifest payments infrastructure into Nucreator to help creators get paid faster,” Jennifer says, adding that the integration will be gradual, with early access rolling out to a select test group before scaling to all users.

Merging Teams and Cultures

Acquiring a startup often tests culture and leadership alignment, but both executives say the Nucreator integration has been smooth. Marks has joined Manifest as Chief Revenue Officer, bringing deep expertise in fintech and creator sales.

“There’s not a lot of overlap, only expansion,” Michael says. “We didn’t have to combine two operators or two product teams. We gained great talent and a great product.”

He attributes that success to the groundwork done before the acquisition. “We spent a lot of time in Austin and Los Angeles, meeting face-to-face, making sure we understood each other’s culture,” he says. “When day one arrived, everyone was aligned and excited.”

Jennifer Minelli speaking at “Money20/20,” where Manifest Financial was named as one of the “Rising Fintechs.”

Building the Infrastructure Creators Deserve

As creators strive towards entrepreneurship, their financial needs mirror those of small businesses, from access to credit to global payments. Manifest has been expanding quickly to meet that demand. Since its April 2025 public launch, the company has signed exclusive partnerships with seven platforms across e-gaming, content creation, and tipping, establishing itself as a preferred embedded-banking provider in the sector.

“The fact that we’ve onboarded seven platforms this year is a testament to our team and alignment with the industry,” Michael says. “We want to be here for the entire ecosystem.”

He describes that ecosystem as increasingly international. Before the year ends, Manifest will roll out Manifest Global, a new capability that enables creators to receive payments in more than 70 fiat currencies across nearly every country, except sanctioned territories.

“The creator economy is extremely global,” Jennifer notes. “Manifest Global lets us support creators everywhere, not just in the U.S.”

To distinguish itself in the fintech market, Manifest has built a core banking and payments infrastructure. “I’m supportive of everyone in our ecosystem. I want the creator economy to flourish,” Michael says. “But we’ve built something truly unique. We’re the only fintech that owns the full payments stack, banking, and now brand-partnership tools. Full stop.”

Jennifer adds that Manifest’s approach reflects how creators actually operate. “We’re building the infrastructure the way creators work today,” she says. “More will follow this path, but we’re leading the way.”

A Glimpse Into the Road Ahead

As the company closes out 2025, Manifest’s focus remains twofold: integrating Nucreator’s AI tools and expanding its international payment capabilities. Michael hints that additional acquisitions could follow if they align with Manifest’s mission. “We’ll always be mindful of opportunities that add value to shareholders and creators,” he says.

Jennifer confirms that the team’s immediate priorities include scaling global payments and refining Nucreator’s fit within the app ecosystem. “We’re still having strategic conversations,” she says. “But the goal is to make everything creators need from earning to managing money accessible in one place.”

Michael also acknowledges fundraising activity but says the company prefers to announce “wins” rather than rounds. “Our press is about acquisitions, people, and partnerships, not just capital,” he notes.

The Broader Impact

For both executives, the deal is part of a larger vision: building infrastructure that legitimizes creators as business owners. “Many still view the creator economy as fragmented or nascent,” Michael says. “But there’s power in numbers. We are building for the future of work. The more we build collectively, the faster it matures into a recognized industry.”

Jennifer echoes that sentiment. “We’ve always focused on empowering people with their finances,” she says. “Now, we’re empowering creators across all ages to run their businesses confidently.”

The pair sees Manifest’s role not just as a fintech provider, but as a foundational layer for the next generation of digital entrepreneurs. “We’re here to serve creators, platforms, and the world around them,” Michael says. “Every day, our team wakes up obsessing over their pain points and how to solve them.”

Michael’s personal connection to entrepreneurship shapes much of Manifest’s ethos. “The last time I received a paycheck was in 2013,” he says. “I know the struggles of early-stage entrepreneurs, and I also know the feeling when it’s working. That’s what we want creators to feel.”

For Michael and Jennifer, success isn’t measured only by transactions or partnerships, but by the outcomes for creators using their products. “The thing I want to hear most is that it’s helping them,” Michael says. “That’s success.”

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