Gautam Madhavan

Founder @ Xley & MAD Influence | Building World’s largest creator economy infrastructure | 8 years, $15Mn+ paid to creators

Delhi, India

About

I’ve been in the creator economy before “influencer marketing” was even a job title in India. In 2018, I founded MAD Influence — one of India’s first influencer marketing agencies. Over 8 years, we ran 5,000+ campaigns and distributed over ₹200 Crore to creators across the country. We saw what worked. We saw what broke. And one thing became very clear: The industry was running on WhatsApp forwards, Excel sheets, and gut feel. Brands couldn’t find the right creators efficiently. Creators couldn’t find brand deals consistently. Payments were delayed. Data was scattered. The infrastructure just wasn’t there. So I built it. Xley is India’s #1 AI-powered creator marketplace — a platform with 6 million Indian creators in its database, 40,000+ registered creators, and a product built to make influencer marketing as simple as placing an order online.

Experience

  • Mad Founder at Xley
    Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    For decades, brands chased celebrities. Now, they chase creators. And we’re building the highway they run on. Xley is not just another influencer marketing tool—it’s a full-blown operating system for the creator economy. Think of it as the Shopify + Bloomberg Terminal for influencer marketing. Gen Z doesn’t trust ads, they trust people. That’s where Xley comes in. We help brands discover, analyse, and collaborate with 200M+ influencers globally—at lightning speed. AI meets human creativity, and campaigns go from ideation to execution in hours, not weeks. But that’s not all. We’re also empowering creators. Whether it’s earning through brand deals, affiliate sales, or building their own digital products—we’re giving creators the tools to make money on their terms. At Xley, we’re decentralising influence. Because tomorrow’s brands will be built not by corporations, but by communities.

  • Founder and CEO at Mad Influence
    Jan 2018 - Present · 8 yrs 6 mos

    Mad Influence is India's Fastest Growing Influencer Marketing Platform where we connect brands with influencers. We work closely with brands in designing and executing their marketing campaigns which help them directly in their businesses. Executing 1000+ successful campaigns annually . Scaling brands in 9 figures annually. $$ Website : www.madinfluence.com

  • Chief Marketing Officer at Satoshi United
    Aug 2018 - Aug 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Satoshi United is the world's largest BlockChain Un-conference which is organized twice every year around the world. Achievements : 1) Promoting the event through Blockchain Influencers with a digital impression of 1 Million+ 2) Associating with over 50+ media companies across the globe with a total outreach of more than 10 Million people 3) Closing event partnerships worth $100,000+ It's not a Conference , it's a Celebration !

  • Deputy Director at Global Partnership Summit
    Sep 2017 - Jan 2018 · 5 mos

  • Founder at Go Dutch India
    Nov 2015 - Jan 2018 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    GoDutch is a reward based crowdfunding platform where our vision is to mobilize funds to fulfill each other's dream. We help people achieve their dreams by mobilizing funds. People can create campaigns and raise or collect money within their own social circle and even from the public. For more info : www.godutch.in