Init 6 adds travel gear brand Torch to D2C portfolio

Torch, an Indonesian brand specializing in travel gear, has an ambitious goal. 

“If Ikea wants to solve every problem you have at home, we want to do the same for when you’re outside,” its CEO and co-founder Ben Wirawan tells Tech in Asia in an exclusive interview.

Photo credit: Torch, edited using Photoshop’s generative fill

Founded in 2015, Torch has recently received an undisclosed amount of funding from Init 6, the investment firm of Bukalapak founders Achmad Zaky and Nugroho Herucahyono.

Torch is the second direct-to-consumer brand that Init 6 invested in, the first being Indonesian mom and babycare retailer Gently. Init 6 partner Rexi Christopher notes that the VC firm is currently negotiating with several other D2C brands.

‘Not trend-driven’

Based in Bandung, Torch offers a variety of travel essentials such as backpacks, tote bags, and footwear. The company doesn’t manufacture its products in-house, instead relying on 30 production facilities across Java Island.

Torch store in Makassar, Indonesia / Photo credit: Torch

According to Wirawan, the company has been net profitable since 2018. Its 2023 revenue stood at nearly US$10 million, doubling from the previous year.

Torch currently operates nine physical stores in nine different Indonesian cities, with seven of these stores opened within the past 18 months.

Wirawan says the new funds will be used to reach its targets of having 50 stores by 2029 and exceeding US$70 million in annual revenue by the same year.

While Torch maintains a highly active online presence, including daily livestreams on TikTok, it still views opening brick-and-mortar stores as crucial to its user acquisition strategy, especially in cities outside Java.

See also: Mapping Indonesia’s leading D2C brands

Wirawan notes that 80% of the company’s online revenue comes from Java, where customers benefit from cheaper delivery costs and shorter delivery times compared to other regions in the country.

Potential international expansion