• Led by Base10 Partners, Emperia has raised $10m in Series A funding to further develop its virtual store management SaaS platform, deepen the capabilities of its data suite and grow its global team 
• Founded in 2019, Emperia is already partnering with globally-renowned retail powerhouses including Bloomingdales, Dior, Ralph Lauren and Lacoste 

Immersive virtual retail pioneer Emperia has raised a $10m Series A round to supercharge the capabilities of its groundbreaking virtual retail platform and bring “metaverse e-commerce” to new international markets and retail sectors. The round was led by Base10 Partners and joined by investors including Daphni (via its retail fund Dastore), Sony Innovation Fund, Background Capital, Stanford Capital Partners and Concept Ventures. Angels include Blissgrowth’s Jay Radia. 

Launched by fashion and retail expert Olga Dogadkina and VR innovation expert Simonas Holcmann in 2019, Emperia has developed a platform which powers the creation of immersive virtual experiences for brands across multiple retail sectors. The platform marries the reach and accessibility of e-commerce with the impact of in-person retail, giving companies the tech and visual infrastructure to build and manage powerful virtual stores. 

These virtual spaces enhance omnichannel retail strategies by creating new digital touchpoints that drive engagement and increase sales. Crucially, the virtual worlds made possible by Emperia are powerful drivers of revenue. The platform has driven increased conversion rates for its brand partners by an average of 73% (vs. regular e-commerce websites) since its inception in 2019, with an average ROI of 750%. Globally, more than $120 billion was invested in metaverse technologies in the first five months of 2022, with 79% of consumers active in the metaverse making a purchase whilst there. 

Emperia is already partnering with globally-renowned retail powerhouses including Bloomingdales, Dior, Sunglass Hut and Lacoste, as best-in-class retailers look to cultivate impactful, on-brand experiences and bring a powerful new dimension to online retail, transforming the future of shopping for digital natives. 

Emperia will use this fresh funding to grow its team, supercharge its virtual store SaaS platform and deepen the capabilities of the data suite that powers it; accelerating Emperia’s global market presence and consolidating its position as the future of immersive, experiential retail and entertainment. Emperia also plans to utilise virtual store customer data to provide retailers with even better tools with which to personalise the customer experience.

Emperia will also work with partners to bring various global virtual e-commerce solutions under one roof; leveraging the fast-growing Web3 ecosystem and its partners’ unique brand and retail technologies to deliver game-changing customer experiences. 

Olga Dogadkina, CEO and co-founder at Emperia, comments: 

“While working in fashion, it became clear to me that e-commerce was the future, but 2D websites were merely a tool that enabled an online purchase, but were lacking the customer journey and story-telling that brands are after. The solution was to bridge that gap, with the aim of making virtual experiences into the future of brands’ long-term e-commerce strategy. 

“We are strong believers in data-reliance and as such all our virtual experiences are developed incorporating analytics, which is reflected in layout, design, user experience and merchandise placement. Crucially, we’re doing this in a way that has a demonstrable impact on sales, traffic, engagement and brand perception. 

“I’m confident that the pool of participating investors in this round, from both the U.S and Europe, will make for a great network of advisors as Emperia continues its global expansion, pioneering e-commerce’s next generation. I’m looking forward to delivering an even more impactful experience for our brand partners.” 

Luci Fonseca of Base10 Partners, comments: 

“When we met Olga and Simon, we were absolutely stunned by the high quality team they had already built and the business’ early traction. The more we spoke to customers, the more we saw that Emperia is on the edge of a global revolution on how consumers interact with retailers and brands. One way to think about Emperia is through the lens of ‘web 2.5’—it is a device-agnostic bridge for brands to engage with a new generation of consumers while driving real commerce. Emperia is pioneering the development of virtual store creation and maintenance, and we’re excited to be partnering with a team that is truly building for the future of e-commerce.” 

ENDS 

About Emperia 

Emperia develops a virtual store platform for the retail and fashion sectors, powering the creation and maintenance of virtual experiences, ones that communicate a brand narrative that is tailored for the unique environment of the virtual world. Virtual stores can be extended into the metaverse, further providing brands and their customers with branding cohesion and a seamless transition, from physical to virtual. Emperia’s selected clients include leading brands such as Dior, Bloomingdale’s, Burberry, Lacoste, Christie’s, Sunglass Hut, Getty Images and others.

London and New York-based, Emperia is the winner of the Plug and Play Brand & Retail Start-up Award and is a British Fashion Council Patron. 

For more information, visit www.emperiavr.com 

About Base10 Partners 

Founded by Adeyemi Ajao and TJ Nahigian, Base10 is a San Francisco-based venture capital fund investing in founders who believe purpose is key profits and companies that are automating sectors of the Real Economy, including transportation, healthcare, retail, logistics, and construction. The Advancement Initiative, Base10’s growth-stage fund, donates 50% of profits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to support financial aid and other key initiatives. Portfolio companies include Notion, Figma, Nubank, Nowports, Motive, Chili Piper, and Popmenu. Connect via base10.vc.