Threads Styling wins £9.1m in funding to expand live shopping and e-commerce channels

Threads Styling, the chat-based luxury shopping pioneer, has secured £9.1m ($12m) in a new round of venture capital investment to further expand its new live shopping and e-commerce channels.

The latest funding round was led by Highland Europe and C Ventures, with participation from BVYP and TriplePoint Capital and will be backed up by investment from a crowdfunding campaign that launches on Crowdcube today.

The latest injection of funding will enable Threads to continue to expand its current product offering while amplifying its brand new, curated e-commerce website and dedicated Live Shopping events, which were launched last month.

Founded in 2009 by Sophie Hill, Threads Styling provides a personalised service over social media and chat-based commerce, targeting a new generation of Gen Z and Millennial luxury consumer. It creates inspiring content on channels including Instagram, Snap & TikTok and from there, the customer journey continues over chat platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage and WeChat.

Its recent diversification of its model into e-commerce enables it to offer a new digital space for clients to browse, discover and shop 600 luxury brands while continuing to receive personalised advice via the integrated chat function that connects to a Threads personal stylist.

It has also introduced regular weekly live shopping sessions catered around its clients preferred brands and products across luxury fashion, accessories, fine jewellery and watches. The move followed a successful pilot last year with brands including Prada and Bottega Veneta.

"The landscape of luxury is changing, our experience has proven that combining relatable inspiration with a convenient client first service has answered the needs of the new gen luxury shopper," said founder and CEO Sophie Hill.

"This new round of investment will drive further expansion of our model through our new e-commerce platform and live shopping events on social media. We're incredibly grateful to our investors for their continued support and, given our community has been an important part of our growth over the years, we're excited to formally welcome the next generation of investors into the Threads family," she added.