The Marketplace Snippet: Embedded everything & strategies to grow your user base

Jeff Lawson took Twilio from an idea that no one had a name for to an IPO and now a $63bn market cap company. Here he discusses how he validated the idea and the counterintuitive strategies that made Twilio outstanding.

Thanks to a new SEC regulation, Gumroad, a startup that helps creators sell their work, is raising $5m of a $6m round at a $100m valuation through equity crowdfunding. The new rules give founders greater access to capital while opening the doors to non-accredited investors.

Great report by the team at Shopify, summarizing the magnitude of e-commerce marketplaces, which account for half of all global e-commerce sales. The report outlines several key recommendations for brands as they explore their marketplace strategy.

The trend of embedded finance is giving rise to a new wave of embedded procurement. This will allow businesses to buy the things they need through vertical B2B apps rather than through sales reps, distributors or individual merchant’s websites.

a16z updated its yearly ranking of the largest and fastest-growing consumer-facing marketplace startups and private companies from food delivery to outdoor travel. Despite a difficult year, many marketplaces proved to be extraordinarily resilient - a testament to the flexibility of the model.

Great piece from Chris Fralic, Board Partner at First Round Capital, on the lessons learned along the journey with Roblox from Series D to IPO.

GoStudent, our Austrian portfolio company that connects students with tutors, has raised a €70m Series B. The round was led by Coatue with participation from all major existing investors.

Founded in July 2018, TIER has zoomed to unicorn-status. With now more than 60,000+ e-scooters across over 85 cities, here is its story.

Our portfolio company Packhelp, which enables brands to create custom-branded packaging, has published a comprehensive guide to building a more sustainable business. It’s free to download - get your copy here. 

March was a busy month for marketplaces, with lots of new funding & IPO announcements, particularly in the grocery delivery and tutoring segments. Here is a selection of the ones we found interesting…

Our portfolio companies are always hiring exceptional talent! If you or someone you know would love to work in a fast-paced marketplace startup, check out the open jobs at our startups here.