African B2B e-commerce giant Wasoko marked down to $260M after VC halves stake

VNV Global, a Swedish investment firm that backs startups in mobility, health and marketplaces, slashed the value of its holding in Wasoko, an African B2B e-commerce startup, by 48%, according to its annual report for 2023.  In its annual report, VNV set Wasoko’s fair value at around $260 million as of December 2023, the month that … Read more

Ingrid receives $23M to expand an e-commerce delivery platform that snubs ‘free shipping’

Ingrid — a startup out of Stockholm, Sweden, not this writer (unfortunately) — has raised €21 million, or just under $23 million, to fuel the growth of a business aiming to improve the last, messy mile of online shopping, delivery. Using data science and some big ideas about how delivery will evolve in the years … Read more

The Influencers Getting Paid to Promote Designer Knockoffs From China

In December, Pandabuy announced on its official Discord server that more than 15,000 influencers joined its affiliate marketing program last year, thanking them for their “dedicated efforts” with two emojis of Pepe the Frog clutching a red heart. That’s a small number compared to Amazon’s roughly 900,000 affiliates, but trading in counterfeits is illegal. If … Read more

Thrasio, once king of e-commerce aggregation, files for Ch.11

Thrasio, the U.S. start-up that raised billions of dollars and popularized the concept of e-commerce aggregation — buying up and restructuring dozens of smaller brands and third parties selling on marketplaces like Amazon in a bid for better economies of scale — has commenced a restructuring of its own. The company has filed for Chapter … Read more

TechTaka raises $9.5M for its e-commerce fulfillment service

TechTaka, a South Korean online shopping fulfillment startup that provides third-party logistics services for e-commerce sellers, has raised $9.5 million (12.6 billion KRW) in a Series B round of funding from a sole investor, Altos Ventures.  The outfit helps e-commerce sellers manage the supply chain, from warehousing, order packing and shipping, so that TechTaka users … Read more

Accel eyes new India fashion e-commerce bet with Newme

Accel, an early investor in Indian e-commerce giants Flipkart and Myntra, is preparing a new fashion e-commerce bet in India even as competition intensifies with the recent expansion of Mukesh Ambani’s Ajio platform. Accel is in advanced talks to lead a $15-20 million funding round into Newme, an Indian fast-fashion e-commerce startup, according to four … Read more

FedEx is launching a new e-commerce platform as it competes with Amazon

FedEx announced that it will launch a new “data-driven commerce platform” this fall called “fdx” that would put FedEx in the loop of every part of online sales, from purchases to delivery and returns. The platform will integrate with ShopRunner, an online e-commerce store the company bought in 2020. The company writes that sellers using … Read more

Facebook Marketplace Is Being Ruined by Zelle Scammers

Some scams encourage people to upgrade their Zelle accounts to a business tier to receive money from a buyer, according to the Better Business Bureau, and come from emails mimicking Zelle, but with different domains. That upgrade appears to cost $300, and the buyer promises to send it if the seller will then refund it. … Read more

Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff

Clare Walker, a 23-year-old in Brooklyn, has racked up about $700 worth of gift cards or, in her words, “free money,” by referring her contacts to Flip. “There were definitely some people who I haven’t really kept up with since high school, but I was like, ‘Hey, add me on Flip. Here’s a free 75 … Read more

Sorry California, Amazon Will No Longer Sell You Donkey Meat

If you are planning to buy your donkey meat on Amazon this Christmas, you may have to look elsewhere. The world’s largest online retailer says it has stopped selling edible donkey in California, WIRED has learned. Amazon’s new policy kicked in after months of negotiations with the Center for Contemporary Equine Studies, a nonprofit organization … Read more