Holtzbrinck Ventures and High-Tech Gründerfonds invest in men‘s fashion
June 12, 2012
Holtzbrinck Ventures and High-Tech Gründerfonds invest in Berlin-based ecommerce start-up PAUL SECRET (www.paulsecret.com). PAUL SECRET aims at taking the pain out of shopping for men. The start-up provides an innovative shopping alternative for the male customer where they are individually counselled and clothed by professional stylists. The team, which founded the company in early 2012, is already handling hundreds of happy customers. „As an e-commerce investor we see great potential in this innovative approach by PAUL SECRET to personally advise men who buy clothes online“, says Rainer Märkle, Partner at Holtzbrinck Ventures.
„Every choice the customer makes – be it positive or negative – provides valuable data about his likes and preferences. Thus we are able to combine cumulative recommendations like Amazon with individual preferences, which will have a positive effect on the number of returns“, Andreas Quauke, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF, explains the choice of investement.
At PAUL SECRET, customers answer a series of questions on their style and size. The fashion experts at PAUL SECRET then contact the customer and style individual outfits based on this information. These outfits are then conveniently sent to the customer by mail. He then can try each piece on in the comfort of his own home, and can decide which he keeps, and which he doesnt. This service is provided completely free of charge!
The two founders of PAUL SECRET, Anna Alex and Julia Bösch say: “With our offer we enable men to shop online in a fast and easy manner and to get what they truly like and what fits them. Our fashion and styling experts are playing a crucial role here. Our customers‘ feedback is consistently positive. They are thrilled how well our experts meet their style.
Both founders bring valuable experience in e-commerce to the company, having worked on a management level at Zalando and Groupon.
About PAUL SECRET
PAUL SECRET facilitates online-shopping for men. They answer a series of questions online on www.paulsecret.de, concerning their style and size. Then PAUL SECRET‘s style experts contact them and arrange individual outfits which are sent to the customer conveniently by mail. He keeps what he likes and sends back the rest. PAUL SECRET offers this innovative service free of charge.
Press Contact:
GESSULAT MEDIA
Gabelsbergerstrasse 11
D-80333 München
mail@gessulat.com
Phone: +49. 89. 28 85 79 53/-54
Fax: +49. 89. 28 85 79 54
Mobil: +49. 173. 24 20 31
About HV Holtzbrinck Ventures
HV Holtzbrinck Ventures has been investing in web companies for decades, mostly at a founding stage. During this time, Holtzbrinck Ventures has invested in over 100 companies and – as one of the few Venture Capitals – has founded international market leaders itself as well. Today, Holtzbrinck Ventures is one of the most successfull European early investors in the online segment with investments in several leading web companies such as Zalando, Wooga, Groupon, Westwing, Experteer, Ozon, Gameduell, AdScale, Lieferheld or Brands4Friends.
About High-Tech-Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in young, up-coming companies in the technology sector, which transform promising research outcomes into businesses. We provide seed capital to help startups to generate a proof of concept or reach their market launch. The fund is intially founding with 500.000 €. Altogether, up to 2 million € can be provided per company. Investors of this public-private-partnership are the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie, KfW Bankengruppe as well as 13 large industrial companies such as ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gründerfonds regulates an overall fund volume of 563 Mio. € (272 Mio. € Fund I and 291 Mio. € Fund II).
Contact:
Andreas Quauke
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
D-53175 Bonn
Phone + 49 228 / 82 30 01-00
Fax: + 49 228 / 82 30 00-50
Email: info@htgf.de
Web: www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
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