Platter Secures $1.6M in Funding, Launches App to Enhance E-commerce Checkout Experiences
Platter, an e-commerce technology startup, has announced a $1.6 million pre-seed funding round. Animal Capital led the investment, with participation from Visionary Ventures and several e-commerce industry veterans, including Ben Jabbawy, Kyle Hency, and Aaron Spivak.
Founded in 2021 by Ben Sharf, Kieran Derfus, and Michael Keenehan, Platter identified a common challenge for e-commerce brands: the expense and complexity of building high-converting Shopify websites. Their initial focus was building entire storefronts for brands.
However, in a move to provide wider access to their expertise, Platter has launched Platter+, an app available in the Shopify app store. This tool allows brands to quickly add features like product upsells, cross-sells, and social proof elements to their checkout and post-purchase pages.
“Ben Sharf and the Platter team have thoughtfully created a holistic product offering for e-commerce businesses that makes it simpler, easier, and more intuitive to manage your storefront and maximise profitability,” said Marshall Sandman, Managing Partner at Animal Capital.
Derfus noted the current challenges faced by the direct-to-consumer industry. “The direct-to-consumer industry is facing challenges as the economic environment shifts. The zero interest rate environment that fueled rapid growth in the last decade has given way to tighter funding and capital constraints,” he explained. This shift makes efficient solutions even more critical as brands seek to balance performance with profitability.
“We recognised the need for e-commerce brands to balance profitability with investing in performance,” added Sharf. “By productising parts of a service heavy process, we can offer cost-effective solutions without compromising quality. Retaining a premium experience while increasing the bottom line is every brand’s dream.”
