Visual search tool used by Forever 21 raises 6.5 m in funding

Visual search firm Donde raised 6.5 million dollars in Series A funding following a partnership with Forever 21. Its partnership with the fast fashion brand allowed shoppers to search for items through selecting specific style attributes such as length or fit.

Donde's tool works to transform the e-commerce experience through allowing sites to mimic the way consumers think about products.

AliExpress, Google, Waze and Mobileye participated in this round of funding, bringing Donde's total investment to 10 million dollars to date. Previous backers include UpWest, Afterdox and Golden Seeds

After integrating Donde onto its mobile app, Forever 21 saw an increase in conversions and 20 percent increase in average purchase value in just one month. The brand has since brought the tool onto its web search as well.

Donde will use its latest funding to scale the business and develop partnerships with major retailers in the US. The company is currently working on pilot programs with a number of major retailers in the US and Europe.

“Visual discovery is changing the way consumers find products and interact with retailers,” said Liat Zakay, founder and CEO of Donde, said in a statement. “Shopping is inherently a visual experience. E-commerce continues to be the dominant channel for retail and so it’s crucial that merchants think like their customers, specifically by enabling visual search navigation that is highly personalized and relevant to their tastes.”