Seward & Kissel represents Growth Catalyst Partners as Orca and Sapphire Studios combine to form Third

March 30, 2026

On March 26, 2026, social commerce agencies Orca and Sapphire Studios announced that they had merged to form a new entity called Third. The deal was completed with financial backing from private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners. Seward & Kissel is pleased to have represented Growth Catalyst Partners in connection with this middle market private equity transaction.

Launched in 2020, Orca is one of the first TikTok Shop agencies established in the U.S. Orca has served as a livestream and social commerce provider for globally leading brands including Estée Lauder, e.l.f., and Mars, Inc. Sapphire Studios specializes in high-converting short-form video content including UGC, PGC, and AI-generated creative for brands including Amazon, Coinbase, and TikTok. Recognized by TikTok as one of the platform’s most popular Creative Partners, they have driven more than $450 million in tracked revenue.

The companies’ announcement describing this transaction can be found here.

Seward & Kissel represents Growth Catalyst Partners as Orca and Sapphire Studios combine to form Third

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