Participated · Series E · Mar 2015

Farfetch operates a global e-commerce marketplace and technology platform for the luxury fashion industry, connecting customers in over 190 countries with items from more than 50 countries and over 1,300 brands, boutiques, and department stores. Its businesses include Farfetch Platform Solutions (enterprise e‑commerce and tech services), retail brands Browns and Stadium Goods, and the New Guards brand-development platform. The company invests in retail technology and innovation, including a "store of the future" augmented retail solution. Farfetch plans to expand its footprint across China via a strategic partnership and joint venture with Alibaba and Richemont, and to launch on Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion, Luxury Soho and Tmall Global. The partnership also establishes the Luxury New Retail initiative to accelerate digitisation across the luxury industry. Financially, the company secured a package of strategic investments announced in 2020–2021, including convertible notes, a China JV equity investment and a share purchase by Artemis. Farfetch operates a marketplace for luxury brands and multi-brand retailers, partnering with merchants to sell high-end fashion. The company has focused on expansion in Asia and in the prior year raised $110 million specifically to support that effort. In China—where Farfetch launched in 2014—the company had become its second-largest market and partnered with about 200 brands and 500 multi-brand retailers. The new strategic partnership with JD.com gives Farfetch access to JD’s logistics network (including JD Luxury Express), online payment and microcredit tools, social-media resources such as its partnership with WeChat, and big data. CEO Jose Neves highlighted the alliance’s role in helping Farfetch combat counterfeit products among Chinese luxury consumers. The deal makes JD.com one of Farfetch’s largest shareholders and includes a board seat for JD’s founder and CEO, Richard Liu. Farfetch operates an e-commerce platform that connects fashion lovers with a global community of independent boutiques through a single website. The site aggregates inventory from more than 2,000 brands and serves fashion-forward consumers. Founded in 2008 and led by José Neves, the company maintains offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, São Paulo and Porto. In April 2016 Farfetch raised $110M in a Series F funding round. The company has raised over $305M to date. It intends to use the new funds to continue to expand operations globally. Farfetch is a London-based online marketplace that connects high-end retailers and boutiques to global consumers without holding inventory. Founded in 2007, the platform aggregates roughly 300 businesses and reports about 450,000 users. Its gross merchandise value is around $1 million per day, and the average customer basket is $600–$700. The company expanded beyond Europe and the U.S. into China, Russia and Japan and plans further growth into markets such as Latin America, Germany, South Korea and Spain. Farfetch is investing in growth, and it is not clear whether it is currently profitable; it has raised nearly $200 million to date. Management says the new capital will be used to continue global expansion and may keep the company private for now with a potential IPO considered in the next couple of years. Farfetch, launched in 2008, operates an e-commerce marketplace that brings independent fashion boutiques from Europe and North America under one roof. The site curates a network of more than 300 boutiques, listing designer brands such as Fendi, Gucci, and Chloé alongside emerging designers. It offers clothing for both men and women and aggregates boutiques from cities including Paris, New York, Milan, Bucharest, Helsinki, and Honolulu. The company reports annual sales of $275 million and year-on-year growth of 100 percent. Farfetch says the investment will fund international expansion in the U.S., Brazil and Asia and advance its omni-channel strategy. Plans include developing local-language sites for markets such as Russia, Japan and China and accelerating engineering work to improve the site's responsiveness.