Funding and Acquisitions Roundup: Knitters of the world, unite! Wool and the Gang gets $2.8M

By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor

Today’s early-stage startup funding and acquisitions news:

Wool and the Gang, startup that obviously has a sense of humor but has a very serious idea for disrupting clothing production, has landed $2.8 million in Seed funding. Investors include Index Ventures, Wellington Partners and MMC Ventures. The company is building global network of knitters—individual clothing producers that purchase materials from the company and then sell their finished products back to the site, which then sells the products at a retail price. On the surface, betting on knitters to change production in an industry dominated by large manufacturers is a big gamble, but fashion business disruption has proven to be a hot sector lately, and the company has attracted serious investor attention. Wool and the Gang is based in London and was founded in 2008 by Jade Harwood and Aurelie Popper.

Vital Stats:

Website: www.woolandthegang.com

HQ: London

Founders: Jade Harwood, Aurelie Popper

Year Founded: 2008

Seed Investors: Index Ventures, Wellington Partners, MMC Ventures

Innovation: A global network of knitters that produce clothing that the company buys and then sells on its site at a retail price.

Funding: $2.8 million

(Sources: Wool & The Gang, LinkedIn, TechCrunch)

More funding and acquisitions news…

Travel Photography App Trover Secures $2.5 Million in Funding from Concur (via Skift)

Walmart Labs acquires website optimization startup Torbit to speed up its own site (via The Next Web)

Japanese Online Accounting Software “freee” Raises $2.7M from DCM and Infinity Venture Partners (via PRWeb/company press release)

Dorm Room Fund-Backed Skillbridge Is A Freelance Marketplace For High-End Professional Services (via TechCrunch)

Bukito, A Portable 3D Printer With A ~$600 Price-Tag, Gets Funded On Kickstarter (via TechCrunch)

# # #