SIXTYPERCENT Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Taiga Manabe), operator of the cross-border fashion e-commerce platform “60% (Sixty Percent)” that brings together Asian brands, has raised a total of 460 million yen through a third-party allotment of new shares led by existing investor KURONEKO Innovation Fund, combined with debt financing from financial institutions. This brings its cumulative funding to approximately 650 million yen. Entrepreneur and artist VERBAL also participated as one of the individual investors and will support the company as an advisor going forward.
1,412 Brands in Five Years: One of Japan’s Largest Cross-Border Fashion E-commerce Platforms
60% currently features more than approximately 1,412 brands from 10 Asian countries (as of the end of December 2023), centered mainly on local and indie brands from across Asia. The platform attracts many Gen Z shoppers drawn to a product lineup they cannot find in Japan, and users in their teens and twenties account for about 90% of the total. Since the previous funding round (April 2021), monthly GMV has grown more than fivefold. The number of brands has more than tripled and the number of products has surpassed 100,000, making 60% a cross-border fashion e-commerce platform with one of the largest brand counts and product lineups in Japan. The funds raised will be used to further expand in Japan and to fully launch overseas expansion.
VERBAL, Active as Both a Business Leader and an Artist, Joins
In this round, VERBAL, an artist who is also a business leader himself, joined as one of the individual investors. Going forward, as an advisor, he will support our branding and business development as we work toward our mission to “Break through Asia fashion into the mainstream.”
Comment from VERBAL:
I think most people would struggle to name an Asian fashion brand off the top of their head if asked for a recommendation. That is why I was so impressed that “60%” is a hub bringing together more than 1,500 brands from across Asia. I am confident that “60%” will continue to raise its visibility around the world as a portal that shines a spotlight on Asian designers, and I hope to help with that.
Global Version of “60%” Launches, Accelerating Its Evolution into a “Global Marketplace”
Until now, we have focused mainly on users in Japan. In March 2024, we will launch a global (English) version of our site and expand the product into a “global marketplace” serving users both in Japan and overseas. Cross-border e-commerce involves logistics, language, payments, customer service (CS), and more, making it difficult and costly for brands to expand on their own. At 60%, we have built a “proprietary cross-border e-commerce solution” that manages all of these elements in-house. With this solution, brands can start selling to customers around the world in as little as three days after signing a contract, without any initial or operating costs. We will continue to increase the number of brands and available countries and accelerate our global expansion.
Entering Our “Second Chapter” with a Service Rebrand
We are also accelerating hiring across all positions. In our first chapter, we grew steadily by bringing Asian brands to the Japanese market. Now, to realize our mission to “Break through Asia fashion into the mainstream,” we are taking a further step forward and starting a new “second chapter” of bringing Asian brands to the world. Alongside this, we have rebranded the service and unveiled a refreshed logo and tagline. To drive further business growth, we are strengthening hiring across all positions, including CxO candidates, engineers, PdMs, marketing, and content planning. If this challenge interests you even a little, please get in touch via the link below. Let’s create a new scene from Asia together!!
■ Investors in This Round (honorifics omitted, in no particular order)
Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. / Global Brain Corporation (YMT-GB Investment Limited Partnership)
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi UFJ Capital No. 7 Investment Limited Partnership)
PE&HR Co., Ltd. (Saitama Resona Startup Support Investment Limited Partnership)
HAKOBUNE Inc. (HAKOBUNE No. 1 Investment Limited Partnership)
Frontier International Inc.
Individual investors
▪️About “60%”
60% (Sixty Percent) is a global fashion store dedicated exclusively to Asian brands. Aimed at young people in their teens and twenties, it carries more than 1,500 brands and over 110,000 items from more than 10 Asian countries, including South Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia (as of February 2024). The store is organized into areas by taste and category, such as “Levely,” “Daily,” and “Goods,” and offers an extensive lineup centered on streetwear brands while also spanning casual, designer, and lifestyle brands to meet a wide range of fashion needs.
Website: https://www.sixty-percent.com/
App download: https://app.adjust.com/1823aj1k
SIXTYPERCENT Inc.
Founded in July 2018, SIXTYPERCENT Inc. operates 60%, a global fashion e-commerce store dedicated exclusively to Asian brands. Aimed at young people in their teens and twenties, it carries more than 1,500 brands and over 110,000 items, centered on streetwear brands and spanning casual, designer, and lifestyle brands (as of February 2024). With the mission to “Break through Asia fashion into the mainstream,” the company aims to become the largest fashion company in Asia. *As of February 2024
Company name: SIXTYPERCENT Inc.
Representative: Taiga Manabe, CEO
Address: 1-33-15 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Founded: July 2018 Website: https://corp.sixtypercent.com/