Your Source for Venture Capital and Private Equity Financings

Venture Capital News: Zola Raises $3.25M in Series A Round

2013-11-07
NEW YORK, NY, Zola, a newly launched wedding registry website, has raised $3.25 million in Series A funding.
Zola, a newly launched wedding registry service, has raised $3.25 million in Series A funding, according to published reports. The funding was led by Thrive Capital.

Zola, a wedding registry website, celebrated its launch on October 6. The site is imagined as a mix of traditional and extraordinary items, as well as special experiences. The site allows couples to use photos, stories and anecdotes to personalize their registry so that it reflects their individual tastes and tells their story.

Zola's extensive product inventory features approximately 1,000 items, including traditional gifts such as kitchen tools, bed linens and flatware as well as more unexpected items such as Jonathan Adler couches and accent furniture, chef-approved knives from Korin, Waterworks bath products and Martone Cycling bicycles. The website also allows couples to register for unique experiences such as cooking classes, food delivery services, interior design services, museum memberships and more. Wedding guests can also contribute towards a cash fund for larger purchases desired by the couple such as a new home or car. Zola's expansive library of offerings will continue to grow in order to offer engaged couples an unmatched selection.

'Today's engaged couples are passionate about many things - food and wine, design, world travel, outdoor activities and more. Yet, wedding registries often lack modern offerings to meet their unique needs,' said Shan-Lyn Ma, CEO and founder of Zola. 'We created Zola to meet the demands of the modern couple - the site features a unique mix of products and experiences that moves beyond traditional housewares and linens - and the website incorporates innovative features, personalization capabilities and a beautiful design that's appealing for couples and guests alike.'

Zola features a sleek and stylish design aesthetic and an organized, easy-to-navigate layout that provides couples and gift givers with a seamless e-commerce experience from selection to purchase. Couples can customize their registries in several different ways - from creating a unique URL to adding personal photos, stories and wedding details to customize the experience and reflect their individual personalities and taste preferences.

Innovative features on the e-commerce platform make registering easier for newly engaged couples. Zola features Starter Collections, which include a popular selection of items based on a specific need, passion or style preference, and Featured Registries, which highlight other couple's registries for inspiration. Zola also allows couples to denote gifts for group gifting, allowing guests to contribute a selected dollar amount towards an item on the couple's registry such as a sofa or honeymoon experience. Zola notifies couples when each item has been purchased and allows them to receive the gift immediately or delay shipping for added convenience. The platform tracks and organizes all exchanges so couples can easily monitor purchases and organize the information for the purpose of writing thank you notes and tracking information.
(c) by Massinvestor, Inc. For contact info, please check out our about page.
>> Click here for in-depth research on 9,000+ startups and 5,000+ VC investors