Loading organizations...
§ Public · San Francisco, CA, USA
The RealReal is a technology company.
The RealReal operates as an online marketplace facilitating the authenticated consignment and resale of luxury goods. This platform connects buyers and sellers of high-end fashion, jewelry, and home decor, distinguished by its rigorous multi-point authentication process carried out by in-house experts, ensuring the integrity and value of every item. The company’s approach is rooted in technology that streamlines the consignment model, making luxury resale accessible and trustworthy for a broad audience.
The company was founded in June 2011 by Julie Wainwright, a seasoned e-commerce entrepreneur. Wainwright’s insight stemmed from identifying a significant opportunity in the luxury market for a trusted, online channel to buy and sell authenticated pre-owned items. Her background in building and scaling digital businesses provided the foundational expertise to transform the traditionally opaque consignment industry into a transparent and efficient e-commerce experience.
The RealReal serves a discerning customer base comprising individuals looking to both divest luxury items and acquire them sustainably. Its overarching vision is to empower the circular economy by positioning authenticated luxury consignment as the primary choice for consumers. This forward-looking mission aims to extend the lifecycle of luxury goods, promoting a more sustainable consumption model within the high-end retail sector.
The RealReal has raised $412.0M across 9 funding rounds.
The RealReal has raised $412.0M in total across 9 funding rounds.
The RealReal, Inc. (NASDAQ: REAL) operates an online and omnichannel marketplace for authenticated luxury resale, connecting consignors of pre-owned high-end goods like apparel, jewelry, watches, and home items with buyers seeking sustainable, discounted luxury.[1][2] It serves affluent sellers and global consumers, solving the problem of extending luxury goods' lifecycle through expert authentication, AI-driven pricing, full-service handling (pickup, photography, shipping), and commissions on sales, while promoting circular fashion with over 38 million members and 40 million items processed.[1][2][3] Growth has included rapid scaling post-IPO in 2019, physical expansion to 17 consignment offices and 14 shops across the US, but recent momentum focuses on profitability via high-value items and seller retention rather than aggressive acquisition.[2][3]
Founded in 2011 by Julie Wainwright, a seasoned e-commerce entrepreneur, The RealReal started modestly from her San Francisco Bay Area home as an online luxury consignment platform between eBay and Sotheby's.[1][2] Wainwright's tech background drove the idea of authenticated resale to make secondhand luxury trustworthy and accessible, launching the website in 2012 with $3.5 million Series A funding and opening its first NYC valuation office in 2014 for omnichannel trust.[1] Pivotal moments included raising $288 million in VC by 2018, a $300 million IPO in June 2019, and leadership shifts—Wainwright stepped down in 2022 amid co-CEO interim roles, with John Koryl becoming CEO in February 2025 to prioritize profitability.[2][3]
The RealReal rides the luxury resale boom, fueled by sustainability demands, Gen Z/millennial preferences for circular fashion, and market forces like slowing fast fashion and brands' resale partnerships.[1][3][4] Timing aligns with post-pandemic e-commerce acceleration and AI integration for pricing/scaling, positioning it as a leader in authenticated secondhand luxury amid a $100B+ global resale market.[2][3] It influences the ecosystem by normalizing pre-owned high-end via tech-enabled trust, inspiring competitors, and driving industry sustainability—shifting from volume growth to optimized, data-driven operations.[3][4]
Under CEO John Koryl, The RealReal is executing a "big reset" toward profitability by maximizing existing users' high-value consignments via concierges, data tools, and big-ticket focus, tweaking its service model without reinvention.[3] Trends like AI-enhanced resale, expanding physical-digital hybrid, and sustainability mandates will shape it, potentially boosting margins as luxury oversupply meets resale demand. Its influence may evolve as the go-to authenticated platform, scaling ecosystem impact if it balances growth with execution—turning early traction into enduring circular luxury dominance, true to its mission of sustainable, accessible fashion.[3][4]
The RealReal has raised $412.0M across 9 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $70.0M Series H in February 2019.
The RealReal has raised $412.0M in total across 9 funding rounds.
The RealReal's investors include Able Partners, Caffeinated Capital, Felix Capital, Greycroft, Headline (formerly e.ventures), Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tony Florence, Jeff Richards, Andy Rankin, Mo El-Bibany, Chip Baird, Canaan Partners.