A ‘university’ for Instagram influencers

Seed is offering a crash course aimed at stopping the spread of misinformation on Instagram

Spotted: American health startup Seed has established Seed University, which offers a 60-minute course to educate Instagram influencers on the science behind the products that they may endorse.

To endorse participating products, influencers must pass an exam, which is free and includes information on bacteria, microbiome and probiotics. They are then given unique tracking links that can be used to promote the brands and receive a commission. 

The course content was developed by a team of physicians, scientists and communications experts. 

“Be it Facebook’s role in Brexit, our own 2016 election, or most critically, the continued attack of science to undermine climate change, the common denominator is our platforms and how we, as amplifiers, use them,” Seed co-founder Ara Katz wrote on Medium. 

Seed has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from investors that include actresses Cameron Diaz and Jessica Biel, and several institutional backers like 8VC and Cross Culture Ventures.