Japan gets another boutique ecommerce option as Farfetch joint venture lands $6M

Ecommerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, and Rakuten sell just about everything – but for fashionistas seeking out a unique or hard-to-find article of clothing to add to their wardrobe, nothing beats a physical boutique. UK-founded, US-based niche ecommerce portal Farfetch launched in 2008 to bring the boutique shopping experience to the web. Since then, the startup has partnered with more than 300 boutiques across the globe – from Paris and Milan to Tokyo and Mumbai – selling items from more than 1,000 brands. Shoppers can select their favorite items from multiple boutiques across several continents with a single checkout. Import duties are covered by Farfetch in the majority of countries where the service is available.

Farfetch today announced a JPY 720 million (US$6 million) fundraising round led by Infinity Venture Partners (IVP). The Japanese VC was joined on the latest round by US-based partner funds including eVentures and Greycroft. This investment comes on the heels of Tokyo boutique Restir’s premiere on the platform two months ago, which also kickstarted shipping to and from the country. The money goes directly to Farfetch Japan, a joint venture with IVP.

IVP co-founder and managing partner Akio Tanaka tells Tech in Asia that the investment is the first from the VC’s US$132 fund for Japanese and Chinese startups, made public in November.

“I met [Farfetch] CEO Jose Neves two years ago in Brazil and we discussed doing something in Japan together back then,” Tanaka says. “Finally, this year the timing was right so we executed on the idea. My partner Hirofumi Ono was instrumental in getting the project launched, so this is not a pure investment.”

Tanaka and Ono have been appointed to the Farfetch Japan board of directors. The pair will oversee business development marketing, and general management.

Tanaka declined to comment on traction so far in Japan, but claims a “significant user base” that is generating revenue for the joint venture. Farfetch enters a market that’s already full of fashion-focused ecommerce options – such as Zozotown, Origami, and Fril – but the focus on both celebrated and independent designers from overseas could set it apart.

See: Fablic, the maker of women-focused flea-market app Fril, raises $9M