eBay Ventures

Over the past few weeks, I got to be part of the judging panel for the eBay Circular Fashion Fund, covering the US, UK, Germany, and Australia. This super cool initiative, led by eBay Fashion and supported by eBay Ventures, shines a light on next-gen businesses rethinking fashion. Hearing these founders present was seriously inspiring (they have sustainability in their DNA!). They are also proving that fashion can indeed be smarter, cooler, and way more sustainable. Want to know who the winners are and how they are changing the game? Check out my latest Second Life Series article below. #ebayventures #ebaycircularfashionfund #preloveution #secondlife Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) British Fashion Council Fashion Council Germany Australian Fashion Council (AFC)

When starting eBay Ventures a couple of years ago, one of the big goals was to create a forum to connect the eBay community with the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem, bringing together fresh ideas, inspiring people, and opportunities. Last week, we took another step toward that vision by hosting the eBay Ventures Innovation Session at our HQ alongside our eBay leadership teams.   It was amazing to see our leadership engage with some of the bold ideas shaping e-commerce today. A big thank you to Dr. Andrew Ng for sharing his perspective on how AI is changing the rules of innovation - it’s clear there is so much potential ahead. And thanks to Nitzan for helping moderate the fireside chat with Andrew.   We also heard from the CEOs of SidelineSwap and The Volte, two of our portfolio companies doing incredible work shaping the future of sports equipment re-commerce and circular fashion. Their stories are proof of what happens when innovation meets impact. Thank you, Bernadette, Genevieve, Pete, Brendan, and Doug. Thanks to everyone who joined and contributed. It’s moments like these that remind us why eBay Ventures exists. Onward to the next wave of big ideas!   #eBayVentures #Innovation #AI #preloveution #circularfashion

Breaking New Ground with a Major Milestone for Zilch 🌍 Today, we’re thrilled to announce the expansion of Zilch’s securitisation facility to £150 million, backed by Deutsche Bank and now joined by two of the world’s largest global credit funds. This £50 million boost just four months since our first announcement is a testament to our partners' growing trust in our unique, Ad-Subsidised Payments Network (#ASPN) and our scalable, capital-efficient model. For context, this total deal will allow Zilch to support £10 billion in annual commerce and maintain its rapid growth trajectory, meeting soaring demand while capturing new wallet and market share. In fintech, few achievements speak louder than top-tier investors doubling down on your potential, and that’s exactly what we’re witnessing - a vote of confidence in our securitised lending portfolio and our commitment to robust regulatory standards. ✅  As our Co-Founder and CEO, Philip Belamant, notes: “Every £1 of finance fuels over £25 in sales. We’re in an exceptional position to deliver significant shareholder value and expand our offering." ✅ Zilch’s CFO Hugh Courtney is confident about future growth: “With our class leading unit economics and unique high engagement business model mean that this growth will accelerate as we head into 2025 and beyond.” To everyone at #Zilch and our partners, thank you for your trust and for making this journey possible. Desmond McNamara Rakesh Harji Sean Hederman Ryan M. Andreas Andreou Albert Periu Sean O’Connor Amy Sandys Philippos Galanis #Zilch #DeutscheBank #Fintech #Payments #Credit #BNPL #Growth #Securitisation #Innovation

🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that Oly Platform (Techstars 24) won 1st Prize for Circular Business Strategy at this year’s summit organized by Social Nest Foundation and The Gap in Between in Valencia ( motherland 🇪🇸)! Nearly a year after our acceleration with Techstars San Francisco , it's been a wild ride🎢, but we’re incredibly grateful for this recognition from a fantastic panel of judges who share our vision of building the infrastructure needed to grow the second-hand economy profitably and sustainably through Oly Platform (Techstars 24). It was also inspiring to meet startups from around the world promoting innovative solutions for a less wasteful future. Shoutout to the category winners: - VSL Labs using Gen AI for sign language - ARAIS.IO: democratizing access to valuable data for smarter city planning - Crowmie : democratizing investments in sustainable energy - BettaFish: global winner, turning seaweed into seafood! Thanks Marta del Castillo, Stephanie M. Checo Rijo, Carmen Blanc Vázquez & the rest of the team for the amazing organisation. Back to Paris with so much energy and excitement for what’s next! 🧚🏼♀️