INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
People like to say that brick-and-mortar retail is dead, but direct-to-consumer businesses continue to dabble with physical stores all the
Why Because brick-and-mortar retail provides businesses with benefits an online shopping platform can&t, namelyconsumer experiences that
create and sustain shoppers& relationships with brands.To help the next generation of digitally native stores expand into the physical
world, Uppercase, formerly known as thisopenspace, is launching out of stealth with $3.5 million in venture capital funding.Lerer Hippeau
has led the round, with participation from CRV and SV Angels.Uppercase works with real estate agents, architects and designers to build
stores for online brandsin New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto
Co-founder and CEO Yashar Nejati started the company after noticing that online brands were experimenting with pop-up shops then
establishing permanent storefronts.Men retailer Frank Oak, which picked up a $16 million Series C this year, is a great example of that
The company began as an internet retailer and now has several stores throughout Canada
Luggage startup Away, trendy shoe company Allbirds and Emily Weiss& makeup company Glossier have done the same
&Anyone can launch an online brand,& Nejati told TechCrunch
&Brands truly stand out from the crowd once they grow beyond digital — we&re seeing this with Warby Parker, Casper and Indochino, who will
have over 350 stores by the end of 2018
Uppercase is part of a modern growth strategy, providing tech-enabled flexible retail stores for brands to launch, analyze and grow their
retail presence.&So far, Uppercase has built stores for furniture company Joybird and Venus et Fleur, which sells artfully arranged roses
Early-stage investor Lerer Hippeau has backed a number of direct-to-consumer brands, including the aforementionedAllbirds and Casper
&We&ve seen the importance of an omnichannel strategy as companies scale,& Lerer Hippeau Graham Brown told TechCrunch
&Uppercase is the perfect partner for brands born online looking to expand into the physical world.&
