THE WHAT? Highstock, a B2B marketplace that enables beauty and personal care brands to sell surplus inventory to vetted business buyers, has raised US$30 million in Series A funding led by venture capital firm a16z.
THE DETAILS Highstock uses AI to connect brands holding excess or short-dated inventory with international buyers, retailers and live-commerce sellers operating through channels including Whatnot and TikTok Live, allowing products to be moved outside brands’ core markets. Just over a year after launch, the platform has more than US$1 billion of inventory listed and works with over 100 major brands, with around 60 percent of transaction volume generated by companies with annual revenue exceeding US$500 million. International buyers account for 40 percent of the business. Highstock will use the new funding to expand beyond beauty and personal care into apparel and fashion.
THE WHY? The investment highlights growing demand for technology-led solutions to beauty’s surplus inventory problem, providing brands with an alternative route to manage excess and short-dated stock while protecting primary retail channels and reducing product waste.
Source: WWD
