Online service providing personalized gift recommendations and customized catalogs for thoughtful gifting.
Standard online gift shopping lacks personalization, intuition, and emotional connection, making it hard to select thoughtful items for others.
Standard online gift shopping lacks personalization, intuition, and emotional connection, making it hard to select thoughtful items for others.
Personalized recommendations based on recipient profiles, delivered via custom printed catalogs for choice and surprise.
Personalized recommendations based on recipient profiles, delivered via custom printed catalogs for choice and surprise.
Suspended operations after failing to secure follow-on investment despite prior funding and product launches.
Event Year: 2013
Suspended operations after failing to secure follow-on investment despite prior funding and product launches.
Event Year: 2013
Did not achieve the highly accelerated growth required for later-stage venture capital; stiff competition in e-commerce after pivoting from gift-giving to personalized shopping.
Did not achieve the highly accelerated growth required for later-stage venture capital; stiff competition in e-commerce after pivoting from gift-giving to personalized shopping.
Wantful aimed to solve the problem of impersonal online gift shopping by offering personalized gift recommendations. Their approach involved creating customized, printed catalogs tailored to recipient profiles, designed to introduce an element of surprise and choice. The company initially focused on thoughtful gifting but later pivoted to personalized shopping. Despite securing initial funding and launching its product, Wantful ultimately suspended operations. The primary reason for the shutdown was the inability to achieve the rapid growth trajectory expected by later-stage venture capital investors. Furthermore, the company faced significant competition within the broader e-commerce landscape after its strategic shift.
Wantful aimed to solve the problem of impersonal online gift shopping by offering personalized gift recommendations. Their approach involved creating customized, printed catalogs tailored to recipient profiles, designed to introduce an element of surprise and choice. The company initially focused on thoughtful gifting but later pivoted to personalized shopping. Despite securing initial funding and launching its product, Wantful ultimately suspended operations. The primary reason for the shutdown was the inability to achieve the rapid growth trajectory expected by later-stage venture capital investors. Furthermore, the company faced significant competition within the broader e-commerce landscape after its strategic shift.
Total Raised: $5.5 million (Series A)
Last Round: Series A
Total Raised: $5.5 million (Series A)
Last Round: Series A
E-commerce sales of curated physical goods through personalized gift catalogs and later direct shopping.
E-commerce sales of curated physical goods through personalized gift catalogs and later direct shopping.
Individuals seeking thoughtful gifts for friends, family, or acquaintances.
Individuals seeking thoughtful gifts for friends, family, or acquaintances.
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Hiring: unknown
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Hiring: unknown
