SFC Capital, the UK's most active seed investor (PitchBook, 2020), provides capital and support to British startups. By combining its Angel Network and Seed Funds, SFC has created a unique model that allows investors to get exposure to SEIS- and EIS-qualifying businesses, either directly or through a diversified portfolio curated and managed by SFC’s expert team. In 2020, SFC received a £10m allocation from Business Investments as part of the Regional Angels Programme in support of SFC's mission to back promising early-stage companies from every corner of the UK. SFC Capital is an Appointed Representative of SFC Capital Partners Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 736184).

SFC Capital

Concept Ventures is the UKs largest dedicated pre-seed fund, focused on backing founders reshaping how we work, play, and learn.  As a firm built by industry outsiders, we understand the importance of being flexible, founder-first partners at the earliest of stages. We can shape or join your rounds of up to £2m, with capacity to follow-on to Series-A & beyond.

Concept Ventures

Blissgrowth is to build the next generation of companies that focus on increasing human happiness at work and in life.

Blissgrowth

Base10 is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the automation of the real economy. They bring automation to traditional sectors of the economy.  Today, the company has backed nearly 30 companies. Base10 creates industry teams that consider what is going to happen in the next five years, and then call the companies they see playing a role. It either turns into an investment, or Base10 will follow the company for 18 months. It is based in San Francisco, California, and was founded in 2017.

Base10 Partners

Stanford GSB is a business management school that creates ideas that deepen and advance understanding of management. It offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, a full-time twelve-month MS in Management for mid-career executives, and a Ph.D. program, along with a number of joint degrees with other schools at Stanford University including Earth Sciences, Education, Engineering, Law and Medicine.  The Stanford Graduate School of Business was established in 1925 in Stanford, California. It currently has 114 acedemic staff, 2,284 students, 101 doctoral students, and 882 postgraduate students.

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Daphni is a VC as a platform that invests in user-oriented startups with European DNA and strong international ambition. The company is supported by daphnipolis, a closely-knit community of 200+ entrepreneurs, executives, academics, artists and advisors, and a digital platform to ensure both efficiency and full transparency. The firm as established in 2015 and is based in Paris, France.

Daphni

Sony Innovation Fund is the corporate venture capital arm of Sony that invests and engages in early-stage companies. Beyond investment, our mission is to provide resources such as access to the broader Sony world and its global network, as well as collaborate with startups to:  • Foster business creation in related lines of business and new areas of interest to Sony  • Catalyze a talented and passionate team  Sony innovation Fund was founded in 2016.

Sony Innovation Fund

Background Capital is a venture capital firm founded by Rafael Corrales.

Background Capital

Emperia

The Emperia platform powers the creation and management of immersive virtual experiences for brands across multiple retail sectors. The platform marries the reach and accessibility of e-commerce with the impact of physical customer service shopping experience, while leveraging the unique traits of the virtual space; adding a layer of customer engagement, personalization, data monitoring and omnichannel cohesion. London and New York-based, the Emperia team consists of  3D environment engineers and technical artists joined by  fashion and art industry veterans and branding experts. Hailed a virtual reality pioneer by Forbes Magazine, Emperia is working with some of the world’s leading names in art, fashion and retail including Dior, Burberry, Bloomingdale's, Tommy Hilfiger,  Harrods, Giorgio Armani, Lacoste, Dom Pérignon, Christie’s, Getty Images and more. Emperia has been named a  top 10 most innovative company in Web3, metaverse, blockchain and cryptocurrency for 2023, by Fast Company; one of the most promising advertising and marketing tech startups of 2022 by BusinessInsider; is a proud British Fashion Council Patron, the winner of a Webby 2023 Award and a Plug & Play Brand & Retail Europe Start-Up Award winner.

Emperia is a London and New York-based startup that provides a platform for creating immersive virtual experiences for retail brands across various sectors, including fashion, beauty, luxury apparel, and sports. Founded in 2019 by Olga Dogadkina and Simonas Holcmann, the company aims to bridge the gap between traditional ecommerce and the in-person retail experience by enabling merchants to build and manage powerful virtual stores.

A new era for retail? London-based Emperia bags €9 million to scale metaverse ecommerce

Tatcha launches virtual store powered by Emperia

This startup is helping brands like Dior and Lacoste build virtual stores. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck Emperia used to raise $10 million.

Lacoste launches virtual experience, developed by Emperia — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

Emperia is helping brands like Bloomingdales build shopping experiences in VR

Empowering the digital revolution in retail

Digital Retail Enhancement Platforms

Virtual dorm rooms: Emperia powered Walmart Realm experience reinvents back to college shopping

Emperia is a London and New York-based startup that provides a platform for creating immersive virtual experiences for retail brands across various sectors, including fashion, beauty, luxury apparel, and sports. Founded in 2019 by Olga Dogadkina and Simonas Holcmann, the company aims to bridge the gap between traditional ecommerce and the in-person retail experience by enabling merchants to build and manage powerful virtual stores.
Emperia's platform integrates with existing ecommerce and stock management software, tracking demographics, store activity, and purchases. It offers tools for brands to create virtual experiences, including stores in virtual reality (VR), live events with hosts, customizable exhibits, and displays with 3D models and real-world inventory. The platform supports various devices, including phones, laptops, and tablets, without the need for installing an app or software.
By harnessing the accessibility of ecommerce and the impact of in-person retail, Emperia enhances omnichannel retail strategies by creating new digital touchpoints that drive engagement and increase sales. The company reported driving conversion rates for its brand partners by an average of 73% (vs.. regular ecommerce websites) since its inception in 2019, with an average ROI of 750%.
Emperia has partnered with globally renowned retail brands, such as Bloomingdales, Dior, Sunglass Hut, Lacoste, and Ralph Lauren. In January 2023, the company raised EUR 9 million (USD 10 million) in a Series A round led by Base10 Partners, with additional investors including Daphni, Sony Innovation Fund, Background Capital, Stanford Capital Partners, Concept Ventures, and angel investor Jay Radia.

Intelligence Node is a leading provider of retail analytics solutions that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The company offers dynamic pricing and market analytics tools to help businesses navigate the complexities of ecommerce, set competitive prices, and better understand market trends.
At the core of Intelligence Node's offerings is a massive database containing over 3.5 billion unique product SKUs across 1,400 categories and 29 languages. This extensive dataset, combined with proprietary algorithms and advanced matching capabilities, enables the company to provide highly accurate real-time insights into pricing, product availability, and market trends.
Intelligence Node's solutions are designed to address key challenges faced by retailers, such as the inability to effectively track competitors, difficulties in pricing products optimally, and identifying gaps in product catalogs. The company's tools collect and analyze real-time data on pricing, discounts, and catalog movements across the retail landscape, allowing decision-makers to benchmark against competitors and make informed pricing decisions.
In addition to pricing analytics, Intelligence Node also offers solutions for content optimization and product listing enhancement. By leveraging generative AI capabilities, the company helps retailers create compelling and search-optimized product descriptions, improving visibility and conversion rates across online channels.
Intelligence Node has formed strategic partnerships with major retailers to enhance the online shopping experience and empower third-party sellers. The company's solutions enable retailers to provide clearer and more informative product listings, better insights into product performance, and improved search rankings across digital marketplaces.

Intelligence Node

Obsess is an experiential ecommerce platform that leverages augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to create immersive, shoppable 3D virtual retail environments for brands and retailers. The platform allows companies to construct photorealistic digital spaces where customers can explore products in a visually engaging and interactive manner. Obsess' virtual stores aim to drive product discovery, customer engagement, clickthrough rates, session duration, average order value, and conversion for its clients.
Obsess' proprietary technology enables brands to offer seamless and memorable branded virtual experiences without requiring customers to download an app or use a headset. The platform supports various features such as walking and talking avatars, gamification elements, educational content, and social media integrations to enhance the shopping experience. As of February 2023, Obsess had created virtual stores in over 45 countries, supporting more than 30 languages.
The company has partnered with renowned brands across industries, including Sam's Club, Charlotte Tilbury, Diesel, Dior, Party City, Tommy Hilfiger, J.Crew, and Elizabeth Arden, to launch immersive virtual shopping experiences. In June 2023, J.Crew unveiled the "Virtual Beach House," a 360-degree virtual store celebrating the brand's 40th anniversary, featuring themed rooms, product displays, historical catalogs, and interactive games. Similarly, Elizabeth Arden launched a shoppable virtual store in May 2023 to engage younger, tech-savvy consumers and showcase its heritage through digital storytelling.
Key customers and partnerships
In February 2024, Mytheresa, an ecommerce platform, collaborated with Obsess to launch an exclusive visionOS app for Apple's Vision Pro headset. The app offers users a hyper-realistic digital luxury shopping experience in virtual environments like Capri and Paris, featuring curated collections from brands such as Loewe, Valentino, and Saint Laurent. The partnership aims to transform traditional ecommerce into an emotional and engaging shopping journey.

Obsess

Namogoo is a pioneer in the Digital Journey Continuity platform space. The company offers a platform that autonomously adapts to each customer visit in real-time, shaping the customer journey to fit each shopper's needs while eliminating any distractions along the way. Namogoo's proprietary machine learning technology predicts each visitor's intent by learning from their unique digital behavior signals, empowering enterprises to act on this intent and ensure online shoppers complete their journeys.
The platform collects data from visitors' devices and their journeys, segmenting them into real-time audiences. It surfaces high-converting audiences that are 3-10 times more likely to purchase than average visitors. Additionally, Namogoo identifies user populations that do not convert due to UX conflicts, browser issues, or site design flaws, enabling brands to rectify these problems seamlessly.
In April 2022, Namogoo launched the "Customer Journey OS," a revolutionary software platform that enables ecommerce teams to deliver hyper-personalized journeys based on shoppers' real-time needs. It orchestrates all digital services running on the customer journey to work cohesively toward shared goals. The platform leverages Namogoo's vast network of over one billion unique visitors to provide real-time insights based on industry benchmarks.
Namogoo's solutions have been successfully implemented by leading brands such as Victoria's Secret, Neiman Marcus, ASICS, Marks & Spencer, Kurt Geiger, Carhartt, Eddie Bauer, GlassesUS.com, and Ariat, consistently driving uplifts in conversion rates, revenue per visitor (RPV), and overall revenue. The company was founded in 2014 and has raised USD 81 million to date.
In January 2023, Namogoo made a second round of layoffs, parting ways with 15% of its workforce, following an earlier round in November 2022 where 25% of employees were let go. Despite these cutbacks, the company reported continued growth and profitability.

Namogoo

Yalo is a software platform that utilizes AI-powered conversational agents to optimize the customer journey, driving increased conversions and customer satisfaction. Its technology facilitates direct communication between businesses and customers through popular messaging applications like WhatsApp. Yalo's platform empowers teams to collaborate on managing and tracking campaigns, automating workflows with insightful metrics.
Primarily catering to marketers, small, and medium enterprises, Yalo's conversational commerce approach seamlessly guides customers through the purchasing process while maximizing product potential. By combining customer service and sales support, the platform offers a unique and engaging experience for users.
As of November 2023, Yalo reported having 1.6 million companies utilizing its platform to manage customer interactions via messaging channels. The company's innovative solutions have garnered a diverse clientele, including industry giants like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Mondelez, Coppel, Banco Azteca, and GPA.
In May 2021, Yalo secured a USD 50 million Series C funding round led by B Capital Group, bringing its total raised capital to USD 75 million since its inception in 2015. The funds were allocated to expand operations in Latin America and Southeast Asia while developing new products, such as a conversational marketing solution.
Key customers and partnerships
Yalo has established partnerships with major global brands across various industries. Notable customers included Unilever, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Walmart. Specifically, John Santa Maria, CEO of Coca-Cola FEMSA, acknowledged the significant sales uplift achieved through their conversational commerce partnership with Yalo, with nearly half a million corner stores placing orders via WhatsApp.

Yalo

NewStore is a modular, mobile-first omnichannel cloud platform that provides an Omnichannel-as-a-Service solution for retail brands worldwide. The platform enables retailers to deliver seamless shopping experiences across online, mobile, and in-store channels, leveraging modern technologies such as iOS devices for point-of-sale, inventory management, and order fulfillment.NewStore's platform comprises several modules, including POS, order management, clienteling, inventory, and native consumer apps. The order management and store fulfillment solutions utilize proprietary routing logic to allocate orders across a brand's brick-and-mortar locations and distribution centers based on predefined criteria, optimizing shipping times, inventory accuracy, and sell-through rates.The platform facilitates omnichannel capabilities like buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), buy online, return in-store (BORIS), and endless aisle, enhancing the customer experience while driving store traffic. NewStore's solutions seamlessly integrate with existing tech stacks, such as Salesforce systems and middleware platforms like MuleSoft and Azure.Prominent retail brands like Burton, Faherty Brand, G-Star RAW, Marine Layer, Roots Canada, Scotch &amp; Soda, UNTUCKit, and Vince have adopted NewStore's platform, benefiting from its comprehensive omnichannel retail solution. In March 2023, NewStore expanded its offerings to a global scale, assessing the omnichannel competence of 275 retail brands across Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK

NewStore

Solutions for retailers that offer insights to improve the product assortment they offer on their digital shelves, increase sales, improve conversions, and boost brand trust

Platforms for retailers and brands to build immersive ecommerce shopping experiences commonly leveraging AR, AI, digital twin, and 3D technologies

Solutions for retailers to enhance online shopping experiences, personalization, and conversion rates while delivering analytics on individual customer journeys to improve shopper engagement

Offers insights to retailers and brands by aggregating and analyzing data across multiple sales channels to boost sales

Solutions providing analytics for brands and retailers to improve competitive position, such as competitor pricing and assortment insights, high-level customer insights to reduce churn, and optimize web traffic

Platforms that provide retailers and brands with greater visibility on overall ecommerce operations to enhance decision-making—commonly through dashboards—including sales forecasting

Virtual stores may leverage digital twins to deliver immersive shopping experiences

Retail enhancement solutions can be offered in a B2B SaaS model

Retail enhancement solutions leverage AI to deliver better insights to businesses, to enable decision making

Improves the personalized offerings for retail customers

Virtual store solutions leverage 3D and AR to create an immersive digital shopping experience

Emperia

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