Kicks Crew, a global e-commerce platform for sneakers and apparel, announced the closing of a $6 million Series A funding. The financing was led by Gobi Partners, Asia-based private investment group Pacific Century Group and DL Securities Hong Kong. The capital raised will help strengthen the company’s position in the U.S. market, attract engineering, product and marketing talent, and open a headquarters in Los Angeles.
Kicks Crew was founded in 2008 by CEO Johnny Mak to realize his vision of a sneaker platform accessible to all. Kicks Crew’s dynamic platform brings together creators, curators and consumers in an inclusive community. The company’s B2B2C marketplace model also ensures authenticity for consumers, as it is the only sneaker marketplace that works exclusively directly with retailers of the brands it offers.
The brand’s tagline, “Find Your Pair,” calls for inclusivity and addresses the gap in the current market, which focuses on limited edition and luxury offerings, despite growing demand and a large addressable market in the general athletic footwear and apparel segment. The platform currently offers a wide variety of products with over 400,000 styles.
Based in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, Gobi Partners is a leading global venture capital firm with $1.2 billion in assets under management and has backed over 270 startups. Gobi GBA, general partner of Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, has invested in over 50 startups in 13 countries, including 7 unicorns.
