As creators evolve into entrepreneurs, the infrastructure powering their growth is struggling to keep pace. Ticketing tools, marketing platforms, and agency contracts were never designed for this new class of operators—digital-first community builders who want to build meaningful, lasting relationships with their audience, launch real-world experiences, and build scalable businesses.

That’s where Suvir Wadhwa, the 23-year-old founder of Flite, saw an opportunity: not to build another platform, but to fundamentally reimagine how the offline creator economy operates.

From creator ops to scalable infrastructure

Before building Flite, Wadhwa was doing it all manually, handling operations for six to seven creators at once, from ticketing and payments to venue sourcing, marketing, and team coordination. But the model wasn’t sustainable. As demand surged, he realized he couldn’t scale his time. So he turned to code.

Flite was born out of necessity, a software platform designed to handle the chaos of offline creator operations. Built initially as a solo project, it now powers more than 1,500 events across 38 cities, with over 200,000 users and $7 million in GMV processed.

From the start, Wadhwa set a tone for Flite’s company culture: execution-first, user-led, and deeply collaborative. “Every feature in Flite came from a creator problem,” he says. “We built shoulder to shoulder with our customers.”

How Flite works today

Flite does far more than sell tickets. It serves as the backend for an entire creator-run business. Event logistics, payouts, taxes, marketing, CRM, and campaign targeting all happen inside one ecosystem, with minimal input needed from the creator.

“Most of these creators don’t want to spend time learning dashboards or building workflows,” Wadhwa explains. “They’re running real businesses without traditional training. Flite just handles it.”

This hands-off, operational co-pilot approach has made Flite sticky. Once onboarded, Flite retains 98% of its top creators month over month. And the system’s design allows even part-time organizers to look and operate like full-fledged businesses.

IRL as the wedge and the movement

Flite’s approach starts with real-world events, not digital monetization. Ticketed parties, pop-ups, and immersive experiences are more than just revenue streams. Flite considers them community catalysts, essential drivers of authentic connection and belonging.

By giving creators the tools to host unique events for their followers, Flite allows fans to connect around shared culture in spaces where they feel seen. “These events aren’t just about music or nightlife,” Wadhwa says. “They’re about identity. Community. Belonging.”

An ecosystem, not just a tool

In February 2024, Flite processed $90,000 in GMV. A year later, that number climbed to $800,000—nearly 9x growth. The company’s footprint spans 33+ U.S. cities, plus new growth markets like Dubai, London, and Canada.

Joining Wadhwa is co-founder and COO Rahul Surana. “What we’re doing isn’t just product innovation. It’s category creation,” Surana says. “There hasn’t been a system built for the IRL creator. We’re building it with them.”

The system already supports names like Sean Kingston, Jay Sean, Bryson Tiller, G-Eazy, Ed Westwick, Lil Tjay, and Twinsick. In Philadelphia, one Flite-powered event sold 1,600 tickets in less than a week.

Vedant Mahajan, an international celebrity, called Flite “the first system that actually understands what a creator needs to thrive offline.” In Canada, SendSzn, a 20,000+ fan collective, said switching to Flite “automated our event operations and improved margins.”

Backed by builders who spot breakouts

Flite is backed by Launch, the venture network led by early Uber and Robinhood investor Jason Calacanis. On This Week in Startups, Calacanis hinted at the platform’s significance: comparing it to Airbnb in how it helps people build something scalable and community-driven.

Known for identifying breakout tech startups early, Calacanis praised Flite’s ability to meet a growing need in real-world creator commerce. He noted the trend of TikTok DJs and creators turning livestream attention into touring opportunities, calling it a fascinating model for modern celebrity monetization.

A new category built for the ground level

Flite isn’t just aggregating tools. It’s introducing a new operating layer, one tailored to creators who want to turn audiences into anchored, revenue-generating communities.

Traditional SMB software doesn’t work for creators. Horizontal tools require manual stitching and constant learning. Flite is verticalized, creator-specific, and built to be invisible.

“Every creator has their own vibe, their own rhythm,” Wadhwa says. “So our system doesn’t just simplify operations. It adapts to how they work.”

Intelligence in every workflow

Flite’s next leap forward is AI agents tailored to each creator’s style. These virtual assistants now handle everything from vendor payouts to marketing automation, tax prep, CRM, and audience segmentation.

What used to require a full team—campaign setup, price testing, customer targeting—is now triggered by a single prompt. “Raise prices on my Miami show,” one creator might say. “Text my top spenders,” another inputs. Flite does the rest.

The AI doesn’t just respond. It learns from click rates, ticket velocity, audience behavior, and optimizes over time. It’s not a chatbot. It’s a full-stack business manager, seamlessly built into the product experience.

And for creators who have grown up online, this kind of invisible infrastructure is not just helpful. It’s expected.

The market ahead

The shift toward creator-led, experience-driven commerce is accelerating. As traditional jobs evolve, more people are turning to community as capital. Events are no longer side hustles. They’re careers.

The global experience economy is projected to surpass $1.5 trillion by 2025. The creator economy will top $480 billion. Flite sits at the collision point, offering the rails that help creators turn audience into revenue and culture into companies.

With a product built from real feedback, powered by AI, and rooted in community, Flite isn’t just keeping up with the creator economy. It’s setting the pace.

And Suvir Wadhwa is right at the center of it.

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