US-based online fashion retailer Darby Smart has raised $6m in a series A round led by venture capital firm Maveron, which also featured CAA Ventures, the venture arm of talent agency Creative Artists Agency.
Forerunner Ventures also took part in the round, and the investment will be used to create additional tools for their customers, to use crowdsourcing to aid innovation by asking consumers to vote on their products, and to expand Darby Smart’s team over the next six months.
Darby Smart allows consumers to recreate stylish online projects inspired by visual discovery network Pinterest into at-home experiential projects.
In 2013 Darby Smart raised $1m in seed financing from Novel TMT Ventures, a subsidiary of China-based Novel Group, Maveron, Forerunner and assorted angel investors.
David Wu, partner at Maveron, said: “Darby Smart has successfully engaged one of the biggest untapped consumer categories by using technology to build a platform that bridges the gap between the craft store, online DIY influencer, and the customer.”