Mumbai based fashion eTailer start-up Red Polka raises angel fund

Red Polka, a Mumbai-based based player in the e-comm enabling market, curates fashion and lifestyle designs catering to women aged 23 plus, has closed its first round of angel funding from a clutch of investors.

“The funds raised will be used to launch Red Polka mobile app and for team expansion. The app is expected to hit leading app stores in 2-3 months,” said the company’s official release.

Vishakha Singh, Founder and CEO, Red Polka, said, “Red Polka curates designs in categories like clothing, fashion accessories, home décor and kids’ products (up to the age of 8) and recommends them to shoppers. The curation is based on the interest graphs of the audience and is packaged with stories and tips.”

Vishakha has been in the business of shoppers experience and behaviour for more than 15 years. She has worked with media brands like Times Now and CNBC TV18 in brand strategy role. Her last corporate stint was at Future Media, a Kishore Biyani firm.

She also serves on the IAA (International Advertising Association – India Chapter) board where she works on knowledge sharing and growth for advertising and marketing professionals through various IAA initiatives.

Red Polka operates in e-commerce enabling space, which is a relatively new segment in India. They not only discover and showcase designs in fashion but also curate products keeping in mind their audience profile.

“More than 30 per cent of our audience are repeat visitors and we have created that kind of pull due to our weekly themes which our users find relevant. For sellers, we provide them with a platform that helps them stay on shoppers’ top of mind. And these sellers are not just e-commerce players but many small home-preneurs too,” said Singh.

The company is also focusing on attracting right talent to build a strong team. While Red Polka has an in-house team of curators, tech-savvy designers, content writers and relationship managers, the company has hired Parnil Mhatre as Chief Technology Officer. Mhatre comes with Artificial Intelligence background and setting up predictive analytics and recommendation systems is his forte. His expertise would enable Red Polka to customise their curation for Women shoppers.

“As we build the company from ground up, it is important that not only do we consistently enhance shoppers' experience on the site but also attract the right talent. Parnil’s expertise would help us blend shopper behaviour and interests based curation,” added Singh.