Joe Gagliese: Co-Founder & CEO, Viral Nation — Building the Largest Agency in the Category
Joe Gagliese is the co-founder and CEO of Viral Nation, a Toronto influencer marketing and social media agency he started in 2014 with his high school friend Mat Micheli. The company began as an influencer talent management firm and now includes agency, talent, sports and technology divisions. Everything-PR ranks Viral Nation #4 on its 2026 global influencer agency list.
What are the key facts about Joe Gagliese and Viral Nation?
Joe Gagliese co-founded Viral Nation in 2014 and has led it as CEO through its move from talent management into a full social media and technology group.
Fact
Detail
Company
Viral Nation
Founded
2014, Toronto
Co-founders
Joe Gagliese and Mat Micheli
Starting point
Influencer talent management firm
Divisions (2021 release)
VN Marketing, VN Talent, VN Sports, VN Tech
Funding
C$250 million investment from Eldridge and Maverix Capital
#4 at 5.9% in the Influencer Marketing AI Citation Share Study
Who is Joe Gagliese?
Joe Gagliese is a Toronto entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Viral Nation. According to Viral Nation's executive bio, he launched his first venture, selling recycled paintballs, at age 12, then partnered with high school friend Mat Micheli on a series of ventures that included Viral Nation. Earlier company bios list him as Co-CEO alongside Micheli.
Gagliese teaches marketing courses at Ryerson University and was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Toronto. He also founded the YES Scholarship for post-secondary education.
How did Viral Nation grow from 2014 to 2026?
Viral Nation grew from a two-person talent management start-up into a global social media group, with 300% to 400% year-over-year growth and no outside investment by 2019. Its September 2019 announcement said the agency made both the Adweek 100 list of fastest-growing agencies and Canada's Startup 50 list.
Period
Milestone
2014
Gagliese and Micheli found Viral Nation as an influencer talent management firm
2019
Named to Adweek 100 and Startup 50 after 300% to 400% annual growth
2021
Raised C$250 million from Eldridge and Maverix Capital; The Globe and Mail reported a $650 million post-funding valuation and about $100 million in prior-year sales
2021
Acquired MediaKits to add audience analytics to its technology platform
2024
Sold four Instagram channels to Vertiqal Studios and set up a revenue-sharing media arrangement
The Globe and Mail also placed Viral Nation on its Top Growing Companies list, where the company reported three-year revenue growth of 300%. The agency's brand-safety product, Viral Nation Secure, won a SXSW Innovation Award for social media.
Viral Nation runs social-first marketing for brands, combining influencer campaigns, talent representation and proprietary technology. Gagliese's current bio lists clients including e.l.f. Cosmetics, Audible, A24, MGM Resorts International, Microsoft, Meta, Tencent, Zillow and Walmart.
The structural model is closer to a traditional integrated agency than to a creator-native operator such as Night Media. Viral Nation handles strategy, creator selection, creator-brand matching, campaign execution, content review and performance measurement.
Why does Viral Nation hold Citation Share #4?
Viral Nation holds the #4 Citation Share position at 5.9% in the Influencer Marketing AI Citation Share Study, meaning AI tools name it in that share of answers on influencer marketing queries. Only MrBeast / Beast Industries (#1), Influencer Marketing Hub (#2, a publisher rather than an operator) and CreatorIQ (#3, an enterprise software platform) rank above it. Among agencies, Viral Nation is the highest-cited operator in the study.
Press coverage plays a part. Viral Nation appears often in Adweek, Digiday and Campaign US coverage, and Gagliese himself is regularly quoted in outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Forbes, according to his bio.
How does Viral Nation compare with other creator-economy firms?
Viral Nation sits on the brand side of the creator economy, while creator-side firms sit on the other. The table shows where each related firm operates.
What are the key facts about Joe Gagliese and Viral Nation?
Joe Gagliese co-founded Viral Nation in 2014 and has led it as CEO through its move from talent management into a full social media and technology group. FactDetail CompanyViral Nation Founded2014, Toronto Co-foundersJoe Gagliese and Mat Micheli Starting pointInfluencer talent management firm Divisions (2021 release)VN Marketing, VN Talent, VN Sports, VN Tech FundingC$250 million investment from Eldridge and Maverix Capital EPR ranking#4 in Best Influencer Marketing Agencies: The 2026 Global Guide Citation Share#4 at 5.9% in the Influencer Marketing AI Citation Share Study
Who is Joe Gagliese?
Joe Gagliese is a Toronto entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Viral Nation. According to Viral Nation's executive bio, he launched his first venture, selling recycled paintballs, at age 12, then partnered with high school friend Mat Micheli on a series of ventures that included Viral Nation. Earlier company bios list him as Co-CEO alongside Micheli. Gagliese teaches marketing courses at Ryerson University and was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Toronto. He also founded the YES Scholarship for post-secondary education.
How did Viral Nation grow from 2014 to 2026?
Viral Nation grew from a two-person talent management start-up into a global social media group, with 300% to 400% year-over-year growth and no outside investment by 2019. Its September 2019 announcement said the agency made both the Adweek 100 list of fastest-growing agencies and Canada's Startup 50 list. PeriodMilestone 2014Gagliese and Micheli found Viral Nation as an influencer talent management firm 2019Named to Adweek 100 and Startup 50 after 300% to 400% annual growth 2021Raised C$250 million from Eldridge and Maverix Capital; The Globe and Mail reported a $650 million post-funding valuation and about $100 million in prior-year sales 2021Acquired MediaKits to add audience analytics to its technology platform 2024Sold four Instagram channels to Vertiqal Studios and set up a revenue-sharing media arrangement The Globe and Mail also placed Viral Nation on its Top Growing Companies list, where the company reported three-year revenue growth of 300%. The agency's brand-safety product,
What does Viral Nation do for brands?
Viral Nation runs social-first marketing for brands, combining influencer campaigns, talent representation and proprietary technology. Gagliese's current bio lists clients including e.l.f. Cosmetics, Audible, A24, MGM Resorts International, Microsoft, Meta, Tencent, Zillow and Walmart. The structural model is closer to a traditional integrated agency than to a creator-native operator such as Night Media. Viral Nation handles strategy, creator selection, creator-brand matching, campaign execution, content review and performance measurement.
Why does Viral Nation hold Citation Share #4?
Viral Nation holds the #4 Citation Share position at 5.9% in the Influencer Marketing AI Citation Share Study, meaning AI tools name it in that share of answers on influencer marketing queries. Only MrBeast / Beast Industries (#1), Influencer Marketing Hub (#2, a publisher rather than an operator) and CreatorIQ (#3, an enterprise software platform) rank above it. Among agencies, Viral Nation is the highest-cited operator in the study. Press coverage plays a part. Viral Nation appears often in Adweek, Digiday and Campaign US coverage, and Gagliese himself is regularly quoted in outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Forbes, according to his bio.
How does Viral Nation compare with other creator-economy firms?
Viral Nation sits on the brand side of the creator economy, while creator-side firms sit on the other. The table shows where each related firm operates. LayerFirmRole Brand-side agencyViral NationFull-service strategy, talent and technology Creator capitalSpotterFinancing creator back catalogs Creator distributionJellysmackDistributing creator content across platforms Talent managementNight MediaManaging creators Direct monetizationPatreonCreator subscriptions Other brand-side agencies in the comparison set include 5W AI Communications, Talent Resources (founded by Mike Heller), Whalar, Open Influence, OBVIOUSLY, August United and NeoReach. See the full ranking in Best Influencer Marketing Agencies: The 2026 Global Guide.
What is Viral Nation?
Viral Nation is a Toronto-founded social media and influencer marketing group that combines agency services, talent representation and technology. It holds the #4 position in the EPR Influencer Marketing AI Citation Share Study at 5.9%.
When was Viral Nation founded?
Gagliese and Micheli founded Viral Nation in 2014 as an influencer talent management firm.
Is Viral Nation the largest influencer marketing agency?
No source in this profile ranks Viral Nation as the largest by revenue, and size rankings vary by method and year. Everything-PR ranks it #4 on its global agency list. Viral Nation reported about $100 million in sales for the year before its 2021 funding round.
What has Viral Nation acquired?
Viral Nation acquired MediaKits, a data-aggregation company, after its 2021 funding round, to add audience analytics to its technology platform.
How does Viral Nation compare to CreatorIQ?
CreatorIQ (#3 Citation Share, 6.8%) is an enterprise software platform, while Viral Nation (#4, 5.9%) is a full-service agency. Many enterprise brands use both: CreatorIQ as the platform and an agency such as Viral Nation to run the program on top of it.
What else should I read on Everything-PR?
Best Influencer Marketing Agencies: The 2026 Global Guide (the ranked 11-agency list) Influencer Marketing in the Answer-Engine Era (the EPR pillar) The Influencer Marketing AI Citation Share Study (28 entities) Adam Williams: Founder and CEO, CreatorIQ Mike Heller: Founder and CEO, Talent Resources Influence at Scale: How Five Leading Agencies Are Redefining the Creator Economy Fashion PR After the Influencer Bubble Last updated October 2026.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
