GOAT Group, founded in 2009 and based in Culver City, United States, operates an online marketplace dedicated to footwear, including shoes and sneakers for men, women and kids across multiple brands. With a team of approximately 998 employees as of December 31, 2023, the company has developed a platform that spans both primary and secondary markets, offering authentic, curated products through its technology-enabled ecosystem. Focused on leveraging premium brand appeal, global reach and seamless user experience, GOAT Group aims to connect fashion-tech innovation with consumer demand in the dynamic footwear segment.
What Is GOAT Group and What Does It Do?
GOAT Group, founded in 2009 by Eddy Lu and Daishin Sugano, is a Culver City-based (United States) fashion-tech company. The company develops and operates a global online marketplace offering a wide selection of shoes, sneakers and footwear for men, women and kids, spanning both primary sales and resale channels. GOAT Group employs approximately 998 people. Its platform combines authentication technology, logistics infrastructure and brand partnerships to serve a global community of buyers and sellers, positioning itself at the intersection of culture, sneakers and e-commerce.
How Much Funding Has GOAT Group Raised?
- Seed Round
- Amount Raised: $1.6 M
- Date: May 2011
- Motivation: To kick-start the company’s operations and marketplace development.\
- Series A
- Amount Raised: $6 M
- Date: June 2012
- Motivation: To build initial marketplace scale and product offering.\
- Series B
- Amount Raised: $25 M
- Date: February 2017
- Lead Investors: Accel Partners, Upfront Ventures, Webb Investment Network
- Motivation: To expand operations, platform features and user growth.\
- Series C
- Amount Raised: $59.99 M
- Date: February 2018
- Lead Investors: Accel Partners, Index Ventures, Matrix Partners, Upfront Ventures, Webb Investment Network
- Motivation: To further scale platform, authentication, and global reach.\
- Series E
- Amount Raised: $105 M
- Date: September 2020
- Lead Investors: D1 Capital Partners
- Motivation: To strengthen market position, extend apparel/resale verticals.\
- Series F
- Amount Raised: $195 M
- Date: June 2021
- Lead Investors: Park West Asset Management, Franklin Templeton, Adage Capital, Ulysses Management
- Motivation: To scale global footprint, invest in tech/authentication and diversify into apparel/resale.\
Total Funding Raised: $487 Million
Current Valuation: $3.7 Billion (as of Jun 2021)
Latest Funding Date: June 2021
Key Investors
- Ashton Kutcher
- Details: Actor-entrepreneur turned tech investor with stakes in consumer-tech ventures.
- Investment Focus Areas: Consumer platforms, marketplaces, cultural brands.
- Notable Investments: GOAT Group and other consumer-tech startups.\
- Yuri Milner
- Details: Russian-born tech investor, founder of DST Global, focuses on large-scale internet platforms.
- Investment Focus Areas: Internet, e-commerce, global consumer platforms.
- Notable Investments: Investment in GOAT Group and other high-growth internet companies.\
- Accel Partners
- Details: Global venture-capital firm with a strong track record in growth-stage consumer and enterprise tech.
- Investment Focus Areas: Marketplaces, consumer internet, SaaS.
- Notable Investments: GOAT Group (Series C), Facebook, Dropbox, Slack.\
- Index Ventures
- Details: International VC firm investing across consumer, fintech, and marketplaces.
- Investment Focus Areas: Consumer e-commerce, digital platforms, global expansion.
- Notable Investments: GOAT Group, Revolut, Etsy.
Where Is GOAT Group’s Headquarters?
GOAT Group is headquartered in Culver City, California, United States. This Los Angeles-area location places it near key fashion-tech, entertainment and logistics ecosystems, enabling access to creative talent, global logistics infrastructure and consumer culture trends. Being in Southern California supports its marketplace operations across footwear, apparel and innovation in the resale/primary composite model.
What’s Next for GOAT Group?
GOAT Group is poised to deepen its footprint in both the primary and resale footwear markets, expand its apparel/resale verticals and accelerate international growth. Leveraging its strong funding base and valuation, the company will continue to invest in authentication technology, logistics and brand partnerships. Key challenges include scaling globally, managing authenticity at volume and competing with alternative marketplaces/resale platforms. The ultimate goal is to establish GOAT Group as a dominant global fashion-tech platform that integrates new and used inventory seamlessly for the next generation of consumers.
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