Where is the smart money going?

GP Bullhound has identified unprecedented growth in online fashion this year. Their comprehensive study, Online fashion: where is the smart money going?, shows investment in online fashion companies has increased from $1.6 billion in 2012 to $2.9 billion in the first nine months in 2015.

The fashion industry is worth over €400 billion in Europe, with six online fashion companies that are worth over a billion dollars. GP Bullhound expects that there will be ten more billion-dollar online fashion startups in the next five years.

The report examines in detail the rise of fashion marketplaces and other innovative solutions over traditional E-Commerce business models, investment and exit activity in the industry and how the biggest fashion brands are embracing technology.

GP Bullhound focuses on four key trends: marketplaces becoming the new standard, the rapid maturation of second hand marketplaces, the growth of personalized fashion services and renting designer wear.

Alessandro Casartelli, Vice President at GP Bullhound, commented: “It is clear that fashion tech is a defining characteristic of the European investment landscape, experiencing high growth which we expect to see continue next year. The industry has matured considerably, driven by consumer adoption and by established retailers and wholesalers embracing innovative technologies. This has driven strong growth for online fashion companies with a number of global leaders emerging in the sector and several high profile exits in both established and disruptive business models.”

The report is an update of GP Bullhound’s previous research from May 2013 entitled, Online Fashion – Which businesses will make the cut? In which we discussed the growth and prospects of the industry.