// startup autopsy
Sumpto
Campus influencer marketing before influencer marketing was cool — and before it worked.
marketfitSilent Shutdown
Quiet closure with no public announcement · Fatal mistake: Sumpto targeted a transient college user base without building mechanisms to retain users post-graduation or expand the brand's value proposition beyond campus.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Sumpto founded in the USA as a social platform connecting brands with college student influencers.
FUNDING
Sumpto raises $425K to expand its campus influencer marketing network across US universities.
PIVOT
Sumpto attempts to broaden its platform beyond a single campus social model, struggling to retain users post-graduation.
SHUTDOWN
Sumpto quietly shuts down after failing to achieve sustainable growth and exhausting its seed funding.