Livestream shopping is a popular trend in many parts of the world, but it has not yet gained much traction in the United States. However, BOND, a new platform founded by Maddie Raedts and Sam Robinson, aims to change that by offering an inspiration-driven shopping experience that focuses on creator influence rather than product-led marketing.
According to Robinson, BOND takes a creator and content-first approach to livestream shopping, putting the creator in the driver’s seat and at the forefront of the experience. The platform offers a place where creators can connect with their audience in a more interactive way and provide a frictionless shopping experience.
BOND connects creators, brands, and consumers across more premium lifestyle categories, creating a platform that aligns all incentives and is the missing piece of the puzzle that hasn’t been there before. The company launched its platform with over 65 creators and 50 brands already enrolled, including Valeria Lipovetsky, Kit Keenan, Allegra Shaw, and Alyssa Lynch.
Attracting new customers has become more difficult in recent years due to privacy regulations and new technology that has increased the cost of acquisition. BOND is in a crowded space that is working to solve this problem, including social media giants like TikTok and YouTube, retailers like Walmart, and commerce tech companies like NTWRK, WhatNot, PopShop Live, ShopThing, Upmesh, buywith, Firework, and Drip.
BOND offers a unique approach to traditional marketplaces by allowing creators to engage with consumers via live or prerecorded content that continues to sell as long as the product is available. Shoppers can check out creator profiles and product discovery, while BOND manages data insights and post-purchase operations, including logistics, customer service, and returns.
In terms of revenue, BOND gets a small take rate from brands on each product sold on the platform, a portion of which goes to the creators. The launch follows a $2 million pre-seed investment that closed earlier this year, and the company plans on using the new funding on product development, hiring additional employees, and overall growth.
BOND plans to release new features on a regular cadence that focus on enhancing the shopper, brand, and customer experiences. The company sees BOND as the ultimate destination for discovery, entertainment, and commerce by making BOND part of people’s everyday lives.
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