Cocoli, a Berlin-based platform for buying and selling pre-owned designer furniture, has raised €3.0 million ($3.2 million U.S.) in a seed funding round, website EU-Startups reports.
Founded in 2021, Cocoli is a marketplace for quality-checked used furniture from private sellers — in addition to showroom pieces, certified vintage products and end-of-stock collections — at up to 70% less than its original pricing.
It is a sustainability partner for the likes of Blomus, Kave Homes, Mycs, SofaCompany and U.S.-based ecommerce furniture seller WayFair. The company currently lists more than 350,000 products on its platform.
The round was led by Ship2B Ventures, IBB Ventures Invest and Adevinta Ventures — the investment arm of Oslo-based marketplaces giant Adevinta.
Moreover, Justus Janauskas — co-founder of used clothing platform Vinted — Fanny Moizant — co-founder of second-hand luxury goods platform Vestiaire Collective — and Helen Zeitoun — CEO and founder of AI consultancy Datae Humanum and a former CEO of market research company IPSOS France — all invested in the company for a second time.
Cocoli said that this investment would enables the company to maintain its triple-digit growth rate. It added that it would be used to improve its unit economics, measure and reduce its environmental and automate back-end technologies.
“Furniture companies and individuals who want to furnish their homes alike are affected by high inflation and the supply-chain crisis. Cocoli offers three opportunities: Private sellers find an additional source of income with us; good quality designer furniture becomes accessible to more people thanks to reduced prices and we establish the circular economy as a real option when buying furniture,” commented Gemma Comabella, co-founder and CEO of Cocoli (LinkedIn profile).
According to Stefan Grabmann, principal at Adevinta Ventures, “Cocoli has created an innovative digital platform that not only revisits the way buyers shop for high-quality secondhand furniture but also supports sellers with a unique full-service logistics solution.”
“The strong customer traction that Cocoli has witnessed over the last 12 months has made us eager to be part of their exciting journey as they continue to build a European leader for pre-loved furniture.”
Marc Sabas, investment director at Ship2B Ventures, added that “Gemma and the whole Cocoli team are purpose-driven entrepreneurs with a proven grasp on the business delivering consistent growth month over month.”