Live shopping platform Whatnot secures 225 million dollars in funding

Whatnot, a live shopping platform operating in the US, UK and across Europe, has closed on a 225 million dollar Series F funding valuing the company at 11.5 billion dollars.

Co-led by DST Global and CapitalG, the round attracted new investors such as Sequoia Capital and Alkeon Capital, as well as returning investors like Greycroft and Andreessen Horowitz.

Whatnot said it would use the funding for strategic investments into new features and evolved policies, while also accelerating international expansion, talent acquisition and marketing, among other factors.

Along with this latest round, which brings Whatnot’s total funding to around 968 million dollars, the company intends to initiate a tender offer where current investors will be able to buy up to 126 million dollars worth of shares.

The news comes as Whatnot continues to grow at a notable pace since its founding in 2019. In a press release, the company said its customer retention rate currently exceeds 80 percent month-over-month, while its gross merchandise value for 2025 has already surpassed six billion dollars, over twice its total for last year.

After initially launching in the US, where it is reportedly the “fastest growing marketplace” in the region, Whatnot has expanded into Canada, the UK, France and Germany.

Its growth is a testament to the increasing demand for live shopping experiences, which, according to co-founder and chief executive officer, Grant LaFontaine, is becoming “retail’s new normal”.

“This funding represents both investor conviction and consumer confidence in our vision for the future of live commerce,” LaFontaine added. “With this capital, we will create more opportunities to help sellers build profitable businesses from their passions to delight buyers around the globe.”