Shipwire, a Sunnyvale, Calif. company that gives small businesses a place to store their merchandise and then have it packed and shipped to customers who order it over eBay or other sites, said it has raised $4 million in a first round of funding.
Shipwire’s service starts at $29.95 a month.
Shipwire says its customers include green mattress retailer Keetsa, DoggyPads (for housebreaking) and Indigo Clothing.
The financing was led by Meakem Becker Venture Capital, and is timed with the re-launch of the Shipwire.com site. Also, Shipwire has spun off from parent company, LOC.
From the announcement:
Shipwire is crushing the last major barrier to global commerce faced by small and growing businesses by offering a Web-based, hassle-free solution for storing and shipping merchandise. Shipwire complements other solutions that are enabling businesses of all sizes to tap the power of Internet commerce, including eBay, PayPal, and Google AdWords. With just a few clicks on Shipwire.com, a merchant can arrange for Shipwire to store its merchandise, let buyers seamlessly place orders on the business’ existing website, and then have Shipwire pack up and ship those orders directly to buyers on behalf of the merchant. Shipwire handles all the behind-the-scenes logistics from its growing network of warehouses, so merchants don’t have to. In the U.S., this means merchants now have warehouses in Los Angeles and Chicago. Monthly fees range from a low $29.95 per month for the starter service to more customized plans to meet specific company needs. There are no contracts, no hidden fees, and businesses can cancel at any time.
Shipwire is led by Damon Schechter, Shipwire founder and CEO, and author of Delivering the Goods: The Art of Managing Your Supply Chain. “Channels like eBay and PayPal have opened the doors to global commerce for millions of businesses. But once firms sell their products, there are still huge hurdles to getting that merchandise into customers’ hands,” said Mr. Schechter. “Our goal is to fundamentally change the game for merchants with easy, no-risk Internet delivery services that allow businesses to eliminate storage and shipping as a barrier to their business growth. Shipwire is delivering the last link in enabling business ecommerce while allowing customers to recapture valuable time to focus on personal or business growth.”
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