European fashion e-commerce startups
As technological innovation continues to bring incredible amounts of change to the world of fashion, we’re seeing many European companies with the potential to reshape fashion e-commerce.
Unsurprisingly, a good chunk of them hail from fashion capitals such London, where veteran online retailers ASOS and Net-a-Porter are based, and Paris.
Whether it be flash sales, online consignment, social curation or online marketplaces, fashion eCommerce startups in various forms are trying to crack the market.
Here are the promising European fashion e-commerce companies hoping to transform the industry:
Zalando /Berlin, Germany/
Founded in 2008 by David Schneider and Robert Gentz, Zalando has quickly grown to become one of Europe’s largest online retailer with 13.5 million active customers. It’s estimated that the company is worth 3.8 billion euros. Additionally, Zalando is reportedly aiming to go public this October.
Farfetch /London, UK/
Sleekly designed eCommerce site Farfetch, founded in 2008, brings together a curated selection of independent fashion boutiques from Europe and North America on its platform. In April, the company raised $66 million to fuel its expansion in the US, Brazil and Asia.
Spartoo /Grenoble, France/
Founded in 2006, European online footwear retailer Spartoo is often dubbed the ‘Zappos of Europe’. The company is present in more than 20 countries and claims to be backed by up to 45 million euros from French investment banks.
Vinted /Vilnius, Lithuania/
Online second-hand marketplace Vinted was founded in 2008 as a desktop application in Lithuania, but has since gone mobile and entered six additional markets (Germany, France, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic and the US). In January, Vinted received $27 million in Series B funding.
Vestiaire Collective /Paris, France/
Founded by Sébastien Fabre and Sophie Hersan in 2009, Vestiaire collective is an online marketplace with a focus on buying and selling pre-owned luxury fashion products. Last September, the French startup collected $20 million from Condé Nast, alongside previous investors.
Lyst /London, UK/
Founded in 2010, Lyst has built a platform that aggregates inventory from thousands of brands, boutiques and department stores. The company announced a $14 million funding round earlier this year and aims to take its eCommerce experience into the brick-and-mortar realm.
Navabi /Aachen, Germany/
Selling products from designer brands – such as Roberto Cavalli – as well as its own label, Navabi is an online retailer for plus-size fashion. Last December, Navabi, which was founded in 2007, raised a 10 million euro Series C round led by Index Ventures.
Miinto /Copenhagen, Denmark
Developed by Mike Radoo and Konrad Kierklo in 2009, Miinto aims to do for brick-and-mortar fashion boutiques what what online food delivery company JustEat does for restaurants. The firm secured $6 million in Series A funding in August 2012.
Nuji /London, UK/
Launched in 2011, social shopping startup Nuji – which competes with Lyst in the UK – offers a platform for users to share and curate fashion and lifestyle products. In March, Nuji closed a $2 million seed round from TAG, Seedcamp alongside undisclosed angels.
Showroom /Warsaw, Poland/
Online fashion marketplace Showroom curates a selection of independent brands and designers on its site. In 2012, fashion giant Burda International – the publisher behind Elle – took a 25% stake in the company after an undisclosed investment..
Check the rest of a list of European-born fashion e-commerce startups at www.tech.eu