Seed
Luxury Garage Sale, which sells high-end pre-owned luxury clothes and accessories wholesale on eBay and around Chicago at “pop-up” shopping events, has raised $1.5 million in seed financing to bring the business model into other markets. Chicago Ventures led the round, with additional participation coming from Brian Spaly (founder of Trunk Club, co-founder of Bonobos), Paul Lee (formerly of Lightbank), and Lon Chow (Apex Venture Partners).
Series A
WeTransfer, an until now bootstrapped Amsterdam-based online file sharing service, has raised $25 million from Highland Capital Partners Europe. Looking to compete as an alternative to Box and Dropbox, the company plans to use the money to fund its international expansion, with a focus on the United States. WeTransfer generates 40 percent of its revenue through advertising, with the remaining 60 percent coming from its premium service.
Series B
Carmudi, an online marketplace for new and used cars, is the recipient of $25 million in Series B financing. In what is a textbook Rocket Internet investment, the company is currently operational in 20 countries, but is looking to use the funds to fuel further expansion into Asia and Mexico. Investors included Holtzbrinck Ventures, Tengelmann Ventures, and Asia Pacific Internet Group. The last is a joint venture between Rocket Internet and Ooredoo, the Middle Eastern telecom. “Our goal is to be the No. 1 car classified platform,” said Carmudi co-founder Stefan Haubold, for the “over 300 million active Internet users that we are aiming to tap into in these markets.” Meanwhile, Asia Pacific Internet Group co-CEO Koen Thijssen added, “We invest in companies where we see high potential for growth and expansion. We are sure that Carmudi will be able to conquer its markets very soon.”
Applicaster, a provider of more interactive television experiences through accompanying smartphone applications that sync with the on-screen programming, has secured $10.5 million from the Israeli VC firms Pitango Venture Capital and 83North. Applicaster currently has partnerships with Univision, Fox International, and Meidacorp.
Series E
Moda Operandi, a New York-based online retailer that promises trunk show styles to its customers, has secured $60 million in a round led by Fidelity Investments. Fidelity was joined by existing backers New Enterprise Associates and Advanced Publications, Inc. The company has now raised nearly $140 million since being founded in 2010. Other investors have included Conde Naste and LVMH Moet Hennessy.