Same-day Logistics Startup, Darkstore Raises $7.5 Million in Series A Funding Round
Darkstore, via Mobile technology, helps turn excess capacity in storage facilities, malls, and bodegas into fulfillment centers.
Darkstore, an on-demand fulfillment center with clients like Nike, has raised $7.5 million in its latest funding round. The company hopes to use the latest infusion of cash to expand into the Health and Beauty space. Darkstore, now helps facilitate Same-day shipping for mostly footwear and apparel brands.
Darkstore, essentially allows brands with no local fulfillment centers to deliver same day shipping to online shoppers in the area. The company does so by allowing retail firms in any locality to rent out their excess space to others for a fee. The Company charges its clients for three services, storage, fulfillment and logistics.
In a recent phone interview with TechCrunch, Darkstore CEO Lee Hnetinka stated:
“There are other categories where we get inbound and turn it down,” Hnetinka said. Down the road, Hnetinka said he envisions additional categories, including groceries and perishables.
Ultimately, the company hopes to create a badge for retailers to display on their websites and apps. Letting customers know that they offer Same-day delivery via Darkstore. A goal that promises to prove challenging since most of the company's retail clients see Darkstore's service as sort of a trade secret and are in no hurry to reveal to their competitors how they are able to offer fast delivery.
“Up until now, Darkstore has really been behind the scenes,” Hnetinka said. “We want to continue to do that and to be a superpower to our brands. Our mission is to enable the brands to be direct to consumer and we believe we can help them do that even better by creating what we call a branded movement.”