Birl, a Liverpool-based tech startup, has successfully raised £500k in pre-seed investment and unlocked an additional £350k grant from Innovate UK, furthering their vision for sustainable fashion.
- Birl aims to tackle fashion waste by enabling consumers to trade-in pre-owned clothing directly on brand websites.
- The company plans to introduce a sports shirt trade-in feature in November, collaborating with football and rugby clubs to promote sustainability.
- Birl’s innovative platform facilitates instant item credits, fostering an effortless resale experience for customers and brands alike.
- The startup is preparing for expansion into the Nordic market by year-end, supported by their recent funding success.
Birl, a Liverpool tech startup, has notably secured £500k in pre-seed investment, complimented by a £350k Innovate UK grant acquired earlier this year. This financial boost underscores their commitment to progressing sustainable fashion solutions. The platform simplifies the resale of pre-owned clothing, presenting a seamless alternative to established options such as eBay and Vinted.
Significantly, Birl is addressing the excessive waste in the fashion industry, where over 100 billion clothing items are produced annually, but less than 5% are resold. Their aim is to ensure that all clothing is utilised or recycled into new products. In line with this, Birl is set to expand their resale platform in November to include a sports shirt trade-in feature. This initiative, in collaboration with football and rugby clubs, allows fans to exchange used sports shirts for credits, thus endorsing sustainable consumer practices.
Birl’s technology is straightforward yet transformative, integrating a button onto brands’ websites that enables customers to trade in items for instant credits with just a few clicks. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Peter Lydon, highlighted the platform’s impact by stating, “We truly believe that re-commerce will be as game changing as ecommerce was 20 years ago…”
The mechanism not only benefits consumers but offers a no-touch solution for brands, efficiently entering garments into Birl’s reseller network. This model provides a new revenue channel with minimal logistical demands on the brands involved. Plans for reaching the Nordic market by the end of the year are underway, leveraging the avid interest in sustainability prevalent in that region.
Projected revenue goals are ambitious, with Birl aiming for £1 million by 2025 through strategic brand partnerships and geographical expansion. The startup, based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, is scaling up its operations to accommodate growing demand, underscoring the city’s robust support for tech innovation.
Cam McGimpsey, CEO and co-founder, remarked on their growth: “Liverpool has been the foundation of our growth and we’re grateful for the support we’ve had from local tech accelerators…” This base strengthens Birl’s mission to alleviate the environmental impacts of fast fashion. As a member of 1% for the Planet and pursuing B Corp certification, Birl exemplifies a strong commitment to sustainability.
Birl’s strategic expansion and funding success affirm its significant role in reshaping the sustainable fashion landscape.
