Platter Receives $1.6M Investment and Unveils App to Optimize E-commerce Checkouts
Platter, an e-commerce technology startup, has secured $1.6 million in a pre-seed funding round. The investment was led by Animal Capital, with participation from Visionary Ventures and several e-commerce veterans, including Ben Jabbawy, Kyle Hency, and Aaron Spivak.
Platter’s logo.
Founded in 2021 by Ben Sharf, Kieran Derfus, and Michael Keenehan, Platter identified a crucial need in the e-commerce landscape. The founders, with their extensive experience in the e-commerce sector, observed that building high-converting Shopify websites often proved expensive, complex, and time-consuming for businesses of all sizes.
Initially known for creating entire storefronts for Shopify brands, Platter has now launched Platter+, an app available in the Shopify app store. This tool gives brands the ability to effortlessly integrate product upsells, cross-sells, and social proof elements into their checkout and post-purchase pages.
Marshall Sandman, Managing Partner at Animal Capital, highlights the significance of Platter’s offering: “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.”
Kieran Derfus points out the challenges faced by the direct-to-consumer industry, stating, “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. Brands that accessed venture funding are now seeing those sources dry up, while software vendors and agencies with high fees are facing increased resistance from brands focused on profitability.”
Ben Sharf emphasizes Platter’s commitment to balancing profitability with investment, saying, “We recognised the need for e-commerce brands to balance profitability with investing in performance. 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.”
