Curated - Expert Shopping Advice in Your Pocket

Curated Secures $75 Million Series C Funding to Expand Expert-Driven E-commerce Platform

As the holiday shopping season approaches with just seven weeks remaining, the e-commerce platform Curated is focused on assisting consumers in locating ideal products like skis or golf clubs. This expansion is being supported by a new influx of capital.

The company recently finalized a $75 million Series C funding round, spearheaded by CapitalG, building upon the substantial $39 million Series B announced earlier in April.

Investor Confidence and Growth

Forerunner Ventures, an early investor participating in Curated’s $22 million Series A round in 2019, and Greylock also contributed to this latest round. This brings the company’s total funding to $141.5 million.

Eduardo Vivas, co-founder and CEO of Curated, shared with TechCrunch that the new funding round materialized unexpectedly, fueled by the company’s impressive 300% year-over-year growth.

Origins and Founding Principles

Founded in 2017 by Vivas, Peter Ombres, Alex Vauthey, and Annabel Liu – all former colleagues at LinkedIn – Curated was born from a recognition of the often impersonal nature of online shopping.

The founders observed the challenges consumers face when navigating a vast selection of products and the difficulty in identifying the optimal choice.

Addressing a Growing Market

With the U.S. e-commerce market projected to surpass $1 trillion in 2022, Curated developed a network of over 1,000 specialized experts. These experts are compensated for sharing their knowledge, effectively recreating the personalized experience of in-store shopping for significant purchases.

Initially, the platform focused on sporting goods, including equipment for skiing, golf, camping, hiking, and biking.

How Curated Works

The process begins with consumers answering a series of questions regarding their desired products. Curated then connects them with a relevant category expert.

This expert provides tailored recommendations and offers guidance via text or phone call, ultimately assisting the consumer in making an informed purchase directly through Curated.com.

“The core of the experience is enjoyment,” Vivas explained to TechCrunch. “Consumers should relish the selection process as much as anticipating their purchase. The ability to consult with a knowledgeable professional is what we deliver.”

Brand Partnerships and Impressive Results

Curated collaborates with leading retail brands such as Callaway Golf, The North Face, Rossignol, and Burton.

Over 1 million customers have utilized the platform, and Vivas highlights a remarkably low return rate – nearly 0% – compared to the industry average of 10% to 30% for online purchases.

Future Expansion Plans

The new funding will facilitate the doubling of Curated’s current team of 100 employees and investment in research and development. This will enable expansion into new product categories.

Currently offering eight categories, Curated plans to introduce 15 to 20 more within the next year, including items like coffee and home goods, such as barbecues.

New Board Member and Strategic Alignment

The investment from CapitalG also brought Laela Sturdy, a general partner, onto Curated’s board of directors.

“She is an exceptional individual, and after meeting her, I was certain I wanted to collaborate with her,” Vivas stated. “This fundraising round was a strategic move to accelerate our expansion into additional high-consideration purchase categories, even though it wasn’t initially planned.”

Positive Customer Feedback and Unique Value Proposition

Sturdy, having personally experienced the platform, emphasized the overwhelmingly positive customer feedback as a key factor in her attraction to the company. She noted the evident “product love” expressed by users.

Curated distinguishes itself through its investment in a technology platform that efficiently identifies, vets, and connects experts with consumers.

Many of the experts interviewed by Sturdy expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to be compensated for sharing their expertise and passion.

“It’s unusual to witness such positive sentiment on both sides,” she added. “The overall experience is truly unique, positioning Curated as a potentially transformative force in the e-commerce landscape of our time.”