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Otrium Raises $120M and Partners with Hundreds of Fashion Brands

Clothing brands partner with Otrium to find a home for every unsold item, and leverage its tech platform to unlock the commercial potential of end-of-season fashion

9 SEPTEMBER 2021
Clothing brands partner with Otrium to find a home for every unsold item, and leverage its tech platform to unlock the commercial potential of end-of-season fashion
Amsterdam, March 31, 2021 - Otrium, the end-to-end marketplace for end-of-season fashion, has announced $120 million Series C funding, its US launch and the introduction of new capabilities aimed at reducing unsold fashion in the future. Otrium has also revealed that revenues have tripled in 2020, Otrium’s registered members surpassed 3 million, and it now has over 300 fashion stores on its app. Among its partners are Karl Lagerfeld, Joseph, Anine Bing, Belstaff, Reiss and ASICS.
The $120m round was co-led by BOND and Index Ventures. Juliet de Baubigny, a general partner at BOND, will join Otrium’s board of directors. The round also had continued participation from Eight Roads Ventures. The newly raised capital will accelerate US expansion, the development of Otrium’s technology platform, and support hiring.
Otrium is working with the fashion industry to ensure that every item of clothing is worn, helping to find a buyer for every piece already produced, and providing the tools brands need to develop lines that they can have confidence will sell. When selling end-of-season collections on Otrium, fashion houses retain full control over pricing, merchandising, and visibility of their excess inventory. Around, 12% of clothing produced stays unsold.
“Our goal is to get as close as possible to eradicating unsold seasonal inventory. Firstly, we help fashion brands find homes for clothing items that would otherwise remain unsold and maximise the revenue they generate on those items. Secondly, we leverage our in-depth analytics to help brands determine which clothing and at what quantities and price will sell the most in the future,” commented Milan Daniels, CEO and co-founder of Otrium.
Otrium recently rolled out expanded analytics functionality which helps fashion houses analyse past demand to determine which items have staying power, potentially becoming iconic items for brands. “We believe that the fashion world will see a rebalancing in the next few years, with more sales being driven by iconic items that brands sell year after year, and will be less reliant on new seasonal launches. We work with brands to help them understand which of their items will stand the test of time, at what price and quantity,” Daniels added.
“I look forward to partnering with the Otrium team as the company expands to the US, and believe the platform is well-positioned to bring dynamic and affordable solutions to the apparel market,” said Juliet de Baubigny, a general partner at BOND.
“The notion of brands producing fewer new items and focusing more on what their customers love and buy over and over again, is powerful,” said Danny Rimer, Index Ventures General Partner and board member of Otrium. “It’s not an entirely new strategy in the fashion industry, but one that was limited to a few items and a small proportion of global fashion brands. With Otrium, every fashion label can begin to build their iconic portfolio.”

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Otrium named one of the world’s most innovative companies

Otrium, the leading digital outlet transforming how consumers buy end-of-season fashion, debuts on Fast Company’s prestigious 2023 undefined after a year of explosive growth. Each year, the American magazine’s editors search the world for the perfect blend of the next generation of trailblazers and decade-defining disruptors. We’re solidifying our rising star status – joining the ranks of disruptors like Airbnb, Ralph Lauren, Apple & more.Otrium is changing how fashion is created and sold, challenging industry norms around overconsumption and overproduction. The outlet with a mission wants a future where every item of clothing produced is worn. Otrium empowers over 300 brands to responsibly sell excess inventory, connecting them to a community of five million consumers – and counting. Otrium has seen revenue jump of 1000% year over year and members grow at a speed of 500%. “The conversation around what to do with excess inventory in fashion has never been more timely or critical,” says Zuraihah Scott Washington, President and Chief Operating Officer. “Otrium is eliminating unsold inventory and changing the way fashion is created and sold. Through our mission to transform the end-of-season segment through technology, we’re flipping the traditional fashion industry model that relies heavily on seasonality, trend, physical retail, or stock buyers. With every item we sell, we divert textile waste away from countries like Ghana and Chile which often end up burned or in landfills.” Otrium’s free, members-only platform allows consumers to unlock exclusive access to high-quality brands like Belstaff, Mara Hoffman, APL, All Saints and Everlane for a fraction of the price – while educating consumers on the positive impact of their choices. “Our platform elevates the off-price experience for discerning brands and consumers alike,” says Washington. “Consumers want thoughtful solutions and options amidst increasing economic and climate uncertainty.” “57 percent of our community tell us they prioritize buying off-season instead of new off the rack,” elaborates Washington. “Otrium is enabling new consumer shopping experiences by offering what we like to call ‘second chance’  vs. second hand inventory seen in resale models.”  No item is left behind. Otrium ultimately connects its brand partners with preferred stock buyers and local charities for the small amount of pieces that can’t be sold through its consumer platform, optimizing a partner’s recovery value.“The ocean of possibility is blue – and we know Otrium is driving the change,” says Milan Daniels, co-founder, speaking from New York City. “While off-price fashion sales are still predominantly taking place offline, the market represents a $200 billion opportunity. By 2030, we expect our playground  to be worth as much as $480 billion  – and no new clothing in landfills.”In 2022 alone, Otrium matched over 5 million garments with new owners.
- Partnership will give Otrium’s three million members greater visibility of brands going the extra mile when it comes to sustainability.- Shoppers can now select a filter showing only conscious brands and products, rated using Good On You data - Partnership comes as Otrium announces new Good On You accredited brands onto its marketplace including Adidas by Stella McCartney, Alchemist and Closed joining longer standing partner brands including Karl Lagerfeld, Alex Chung, Adidas and BelstaffOtrium, the premier fashion outlet marketplace today announces a partnership with Good On You, fashion’s #1 source for brand sustainability ratings. The partnership represents a significant step forward for the industry in making sustainable fashion more accessible. Otrium’s three million members around the world can now instantly see what brands go the extra mile on sustainability directly on the search results pages.  Otrium members can now select a filter on the website or app that shows only ‘Conscious’ brands and products. This ‘Conscious’ label is based on Good On You’s rigorous ratings methodology, which evaluates each brand’s track record on the environment, labour and animal welfare. On Otrium, brands are asked to consent to show their rating.  Good On You independently rates brands on behalf of consumers. The focus on transparency is why ratings are based solely on publicly available information including industry-leading standards, certifications and brands’ own reporting. To date, Good On You has rated more than 3,000 brands including mainstream fashion houses, smaller designers and ethical labels. Otrium co-founder and CEO, Milan Daniels, said: “We’re committed to finding ways to help our members shop more consciously, giving our fashion-lovers the best possible online retail experience while making sure every item of clothing produced is worn. Our partnership with Good On You will help to improve visibility for our millions of members so they can easily choose brands that go the extra mile to be more sustainable.It’s essential that we collaborate with external experts like the Good On You team. We are in the business of helping fashion brands waste less with a purpose-led vision of a circular future for the fashion industry. There are enormous challenges ahead as the world pushes towards a more sustainable future and we’re playing an important role by working with brands to help them reduce waste in fashion.”  Sandra Capponi, co-founder of Good On You, said:"Fashion urgently needs to make progress on sustainability issues, and consumers have significant power to push the industry forward. We believe everyone has a right to know how brands impact the issues that you care about. That’s why it was natural for us to partner with an innovative platform like Otrium. We already share so many values around making sustainable fashion more accessible and combating waste.Thanks to this partnership Otrium is helping more customers than ever discover leading conscious brands—and that can make a real difference. Collectively, when we're all choosing to support the brands doing good for people and the planet, then the industry will have no choice but to respond. That’s how we help create a sustainable future for fashion.”Otrium’s fashion marketplace was designed to help solve the enormous multi-billion dollar industry challenge of unsold inventory. Currently, approximately 12% of clothing produced, or more than $200 billion, stays unsold sitting in warehouses.Using proprietary technology, Otrium works with fashion brands to help find a buyer for every item of clothing produced to reduce the clothing waste. It offers brands an easy way to set up an online outlet store, leveraging its in-depth analytics to ensure brands maximize their revenues and ensuring customers get the best fashion brands at exceptional prices, all with premium service.Significant momentum behind OtriumThe news of the partnership with Good On You comes as Otrium announces new brand partners to its marketplace of over 300 brands including Theory, All Saints, Joseph & Temperley, which have been added to longer standing partner brands including Karl Lagerfeld, Alex Chung Adidas and Belstaff. On top of this the marketplace is seeing revenues more than double in 2021 and is launching in the US at the end of this month.Otrium has 3 million registered members and over 300 fashion stores now on its app. It serves over 20 markets across Europe and the US from 3 logistics hubs located in the Netherlands, UK and the United States.For further information, please contact [email protected]
As a global company, we don’t want to limit ourselves to just one office or location. Read on to hear about our move to a digital HQ.Otrium was dreamt up as a digital-first company and we’ll always be that way. That’s why we’ve launched our HQ in the cloud.. It gives our employees, the O-team, the freedom and flexibility to carry out their work however suits them best. It also reaffirms our global, inclusive mindset.Beliefs We hold four important beliefs that were the foundations of creating a HQ in the cloud. Firstly, we have a high-performance culture – we trust our teams to always deliver the best work. We understand that output is more important than the hours put in or the location the work was carried out in.Secondly, we already do everything in the cloud – our meetings, documents, daily communications (next to our communication in real life or in our hubs). It’s all online so it makes sense to cement this with an HQ in the cloud.Thirdly, we see all our hubs around the globe as equally important. All Otrium employees should receive the same employee experience. Last but not least, we see our hubs as social places where we can collaborate, concentrate and create. And we don’t want this process to stop just because our teams are in different cities or timezones. And everyone gets to choose the work model that’s best for them – and can change their work model twice a year to reflect their lives and changing circumstances as required.Working models The Otrium work models include: remote first, hub first and a hybrid version of the two (50/50). With remote first, employees are 90% remote and will mostly work from another location other than our hub (so not necessarily working from home). With hub first, you’ll work from a hub for 80% of your time. We ask our O-team to keep working remotely for 20% of their time, to stimulate our digital way of working, productivity and to decrease commuting. The third model is our hybrid model, meaning you work 50% remote and 50% in one of our hubs.Freedom and flexibility Finally, along with our HQ in the cloud, Otrium gives our team the freedom and flexibility to work remotely for eight calendar weeks per calendar year from another country than where registered on the employee’s contract. This could include working from another Otrium hub or location of choice.When dealing with different time zones, we make sure we document as much as possible. We use Notion as our source for company-wide info, our employee handbook, team pages and for all meeting notes, slides and recordings. Whether it’s 8am in Amsterdam or midnight in Auckland, all our information will always be there – in the cloud.Milan adds: “The future of work is flexibility. We’re building a truly global and diverse team. To do that we’ve created a model that adapts to people’s lives, instead of a one-size-fits-all model, which doesn’t reflect the way people want to work now. We’re giving our people the choice – in when, how and where they work. With our HQ in the cloud, we’ve developed a truly flexible working model that works for everyone, wherever they are in the world and whatever their personal circumstances. Our HQ in the cloud is the future of flexible working.”