| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Jewelry, fashion accessories |
| Founded | October 2009 |
| Founder(s) | Kiyan Foroughi, Avid Larizadeh |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Area served | Global |
| Products | Jewelry, Handbags, Fashion accessories |
| Website | Boticca.com |
Boticca is a London-based global destination for jewelry and fashion accessories, that features a worldwide selection of talented, emerging fashion designers.[1][2][3][4] Publicly launched in October 2009, Boticca’s team has handpicked more than 160 independent designers from over 40 countries on 6 continents.[5]
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Kiyan Foroughi, a French former Investment banking and private equity professional at TA Associates, while on holiday in Marrakesh in December 2008, engaged in conversation with jewelry designer Mariam.[6] Living in the Atlas Mountains, Mariam travelled to the souq in Marrakesh three times a week to sell her unique jewelry, mainly to tourists. What Foroughi further discovered was that behind each unique piece, was not only handcrafted skill, it also had a meaning and a story within its creation.[1]
Frustrated that only a few people travelling to the market on the days on which Mariam was attending would get to enjoy her creations, and understanding the power of the internet, Foroughi formulated a branded platform which would enable talented, emerging designers to market their creations to a global customer base.[6][2]
In the company’s first round of funding, Boticca raised $2.5M. The investment was led by ISAI, a fund composed of 70 of the most successful Internet entrepreneurs in France, including founders of Vente Privée and Priceminister, and joined by Annoushka Ducas and John Ayton, the founders and former owners of Links of London and current owners of Annoushka Jewellery; prominent Silicon Valley investors, led by Bobby Yazdani, an early investor in Google; and Digital Garage, the Japanese Internet incubator whose investment portfolio also includes Twitter.[7] According to the company, 60-percent of transactions today are transcontinental.[7]
The Company was formed between Foroughi and former Accel Partners and eBay professional Avid Larizadeh in 2009,[6] after which they alpha launched the website. Following angel investor funding from both Europe and North America, the Boticca team search internationally for original unique designs, which on launch encompassed a community of over 130 designers from 40 countries.[8] The website was publicly launched in October 2010.[6]
The Boticca website is designed as a community, driven by the founders' original inspiration under the tagline “I’d rather wear a unique story.”[6][3]
The Boticca marketplace is curated and edited by a team of fashion experts, designers, stylists and collectors. Each designer’s profile allows the shopper to read background information and interact with them. The team enhance the user experience through illustrating the culture, stories and inspiration behind the collections on the site. They also show the most popular pieces, selecting and highlighting particular designs, and providing additional editorial commentary.[8]
As of January 2011, Boticca provides access to more than 160 hand-picked independent designers from over 40 countries (including Estonia, Lebanon, South Korea the United Arab Emirates and Colombia),[1] on 6 continents, including: Roula Ghalayini of Poupee Couture;[2] Gemma Redux; Suzanna Dai; BijouxBar; and Helen Ruth. Global designers can apply to be featured on Boticca, but all must uphold the “Designer Charter” in order to ensure quality of both product and customer service.[8]
Featured in Vogue,[4] and selected by Lady Gaga during her European tour,[3] celebrities wearing Boticca have included Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba.[4][9] In review, Tech Crunch in selecting Boticca for "The Europas" awards, said: "What sets Boticca apart from most ecommerce sites is its design, curation, content and community features.[8]