By Rich Waterworth, General Manager, TikTok Europe 

In August 2018, TikTok officially launched in the UK and a handful of people in London set to work on cultivating a community built around a platform for positive, creative expression. Today, millions come to TikTok to both create and enjoy entertaining, informative and inspirational videos. 

Part of why TikTok has thrived here is because as a nation, we are creators - the UK's creative impact is almost without parallel in terms of its variety and influence and our platform reflects this. Every day, people on TikTok all over the UK bring together video and music, sparking new trends or riffing on a theme. This mishmash of memes, songs and hashtags is not only taking a new genre of creativity to a wider audience but also influencing mainstream culture.

Creativity is the lifeblood of TikTok, and we want to mark our second birthday by supporting the community that makes us who we are. To further nurture and promote the creative talent that is so vital to the UK, we're excited to announce the launch of the TikTok Creator Fund in the UK, alongside a number of other European countries we operate in. 

This new European fund will start initially with $70million (approx. £54million) in the first year, which we expect to rise to a total of at least $300million (approx. £231million) within three years, giving talented individuals the opportunity to turn their creativity into a career. In the next few weeks, we'll share more details about the TikTok Creator Fund for Europe, and how prospective talent can apply.

In addition to the Creator Fund, we're already helping many creators earn from their creativity through the TikTok Creator Marketplace, a platform that allows brands, agencies and marketers to discover and directly engage with relevant TikTok creators. 

As brands increasingly look for insights on building quality TikTok content, our TikTok Creator Marketplace helps them to identify and collaborate with innovative creators on paid campaigns that can drive awareness and attract new customers.

We're hugely proud of our family of TikTok creators already partnering with brands and whose career paths have been shaped through their TikTok experience, including: 

  • Makeup artist and beauty creator Abby Roberts whose content focuses on transformations, tutorials and recreating iconic looks from film and television. She has over 10million followers and her career has been redefined through TikTok.
  • TikTok artist James Lewis who creates unique sketches, designs and artworks. He is currently sharing tutorials and tips through our #learnontiktok programme. 
  • The always entertaining Sherice Banton, a comedy creator who creates mostly solo skits as well as prank and dance duets with her partner Bruce Carson.  
  • Dr. Julie Smith, a psychologist and mental health advocate who recently launched a meditation audio series on TikTok, extending her sphere of influence well beyond her usual working environment.

Our growth in the UK is a source of immense pride for all of us at TikTok. The UK is one of our biggest operations in the world, home to hundreds of staff, critical functions and senior leaders spanning brand, community and partnerships, content, music, product, public policy and safety. The rich cultural diversity here is hard to rival and we're excited about how the Creator Fund can help to further nurture the potential of a new generation of creative talent. 

This is only the beginning: we hope our support for our local creator community further builds on TikTok's reputation as a unique home for positive, creative expression for many years to come. 


Are you an avid TikTok-er? Sign up to the brand new TikTok Creator Newsletter packed full of helpful hints and tips to improve your videos. If you're new to TikTok then getting involved couldn't be easier, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon!

If you're a brand seeking opportunities on the app, visit our TikTok For Business site for resources and solutions on how to make the most of the platform.