Total amount raised
$141.5 Millions
Latest funding date
11/01/2021
Location
Curated has successfully raised significant funding over multiple rounds, with its latest being a Series C. The platform connects customers with passionate experts to provide personalized product recommendations.
Keep reading to explore the intricacies of Curated's fundraising journey and the investors backing this innovative platform.
What Is Curated?
Curated, founded in 2017, is based in San Francisco, California. The company connects customers with passionate experts to provide personalized product recommendations, specializing in outdoor sporting goods such as skiing, snowboarding, golf, camping, cycling, and fishing equipment.
The founders of Curated are Alex Vauthey, Annabel Liu, Eduardo Vivas, and Peter Ombres. The platform emphasizes unbiased advice and a personalized shopping experience, helping customers find the best products for their needs through expert guidance.
Curated employs between 101-250 people, with experts located in various parts of the United States. The company aims to humanize online shopping by offering personalized advice from real experts in various fields.
How Much Funding Has Curated Raised?
- Seed Round
- Amount Raised: $5.5M
- Date: October 2019
- Lead Investors: Nimble Ventures
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: The seed investment was aimed at getting the company off the ground, leveraging the expertise and network of LinkedIn executives and other investors to build the initial platform and business model.
- Series A
- Amount Raised: $22M
- Date: October 2019
- Lead Investors: Forerunner Ventures
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: The funds were used to invest in the team and experts, improve the online platform, market to scale the business, and expand to additional shopping categories with low online penetration.
- Series B
- Amount Raised: $39M
- Date: April 2021
- Lead Investors: Greylock
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: The Series B funding was likely aimed at further scaling the business, enhancing technology, and expanding market presence.
- Series C
- Amount Raised: $75M
- Date: November 2021
- Lead Investors: CapitalG
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: The Series C round was likely used to expand their expert community, enhance their technology, and grow their market presence in various verticals such as outdoor sporting goods.
Total Amount Raised: $141.5M. Current Valuation: Not publicly disclosed.
Key Investors
- CapitalG
- Details: CapitalG is the growth equity investment fund of Alphabet Inc. It focuses on late-stage and growth-stage investments in technology companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, Internet, Software
- Notable Investments: Airbnb, Stripe, Lyft
- Greylock
- Details: Greylock Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies. They focus on technology startups and have a history of backing successful companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software, Fintech
- Notable Investments: Facebook, LinkedIn, Airbnb
- Forerunner Ventures
- Details: Forerunner Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies. They focus on transformative consumer-focused businesses.
- Investment Focus Areas: E-commerce, Consumer Goods, Retail
- Notable Investments: Warby Parker, Glossier, Dollar Shave Club
- Nimble Ventures
- Details: Nimble Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early to growth-stage companies. They focus on innovative technology and consumer companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, Consumer Products, Health and Wellness
- Notable Investments: Peloton, Casper, Allbirds
- LinkedIn Executives
- Details: These are high-ranking individuals from LinkedIn, a professional networking platform. They bring significant experience in technology and business networking to Curated.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, Professional Networking, Social Media
- Notable Investments: LinkedIn, Microsoft (acquisition of LinkedIn), various tech startups
What's Next for Curated?
Curated stands at the cusp of significant growth opportunities, driven by the increasing shift from traditional retail to online shopping. The platform's potential to expand into additional shopping categories with low online penetration, such as golf and winter sports, presents a vast market. By leveraging the expertise of professionals, Curated can offer a personalized shopping experience that mimics in-store specialty shopping, setting it apart in the crowded e-commerce landscape.
As Curated scales its business, future fundraising opportunities are likely to arise. The current funding will be used to invest in the team, improve the platform, and market to scale the business. This growth trajectory may attract further investments, enabling Curated to enhance its technology and expand its market presence.
However, challenges lie ahead. Competing with other online shopping platforms and maintaining the quality of expert recommendations as the company grows will be crucial. Additionally, adapting to changing consumer preferences and industry trends will require continuous innovation and agility. Despite these hurdles, Curated's unique value proposition positions it well for future success.
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