Ex-Snap Employees Launch Conversational Commerce Startup Whym with $4.3M Funding

Whym Secures $4.3 Million Seed Funding for Conversational Commerce

Whym, a startup revolutionizing mobile shopping, has announced a new seed funding round of $4.3 million. Founded by former Snap employees, the company aims to streamline the online purchasing process for consumers.

Simplifying Mobile Checkout

Whym’s core offering provides a simplified checkout experience. Instead of lengthy forms and manual card entry, customers can complete purchases with a single tap using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or even directly through text messaging.

Investment Details

Deciens Capital spearheaded the funding round, with significant participation from DNX Ventures, Reciprocal Ventures, Unusual Ventures, Chaos Ventures, and Magic Fund.

Furthermore, the company received smaller investments from prominent firms including Sequoia, Lightspeed, and Canaan Partners.

Angel investors also contributed, comprising founders and executives from leading tech companies like Stripe, PayPal, Venmo, Microsoft, Salesforce, Google, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, Uber, Airbnb, Red Bull, and Spotify.

Founding Team and Origins

Whym was established in 2017 by Kelly Nyland, serving as CEO, and Rhenee Bartlett, the COO. Both previously held key positions at Snap.

Nyland previously led consumer products and marketing at Snap, developing the launch strategy for Snap’s Spectacles.

Bartlett oversaw event marketing and partnerships for Spectacles during her tenure at Snap.

Ryan Hornberger, Whym’s VP of Engineering, also has roots at Snap, joining after his startup, Scan, Inc. – the foundation for Snapchat’s Snapcode – was acquired.

The Inspiration Behind Whym

While at Snap, Nyland observed the high engagement within the direct messaging (DM) screen. She initially proposed enabling direct communication between brands and consumers within this feature.

“This insight led to the realization that messaging would become a crucial component of future social shopping experiences,” Nyland explains.

From Beta to a Comprehensive Solution

Whym’s initial product, launched in beta in June 2018, allowed customers to “reply to buy” via text message.

The company has since expanded its offerings to include a micro-storefront solution. This integrates with existing texting campaigns, enabling customers to shop for products and variations – such as size or color – and checkout immediately.

Brands can also leverage these links across various social media platforms and messaging applications, including “link in bio” features and Instagram link stickers.

Enhancing the Consumer Experience

Whym’s solution aims to provide a faster and more convenient checkout process compared to traditional mobile websites.

Customers are directed to a micro-storefront to customize their orders, then can complete the purchase with a single tap using Apple Pay or Google Pay.

The original text-based checkout option remains available, and a new feature is planned for next year. This will allow consumers to provide their phone number to express interest in products, avoiding the need for links or screenshots.

Future Vision: A Universal Cart and Repurchase Automation

Whym envisions a future where consumers have a universal cart for purchases across multiple brands.

The platform will also facilitate automated repurchase experiences, enabling brands to reconnect with customers when it’s time to reorder.

Target Market and Value Proposition

“Our primary focus is on direct-to-consumer brands, particularly in the beauty, wellness, and CPG sectors,” Nyland states.

“We concentrate on businesses with frequent repurchase cycles. Whym can effectively rebuild customer carts and facilitate a seamless ‘reply-to-buy’ repurchase process.”

“This leverages the power of text messaging to automate repurchase experiences between brands and consumers,” she adds.

Current Traction and Pricing

Currently, Whym serves a couple of hundred brands, charging a transaction fee of 3% + 10¢ per order.

As the company scales to serve larger brands with annual gross merchandise volume (GMV) between $50 million and $250 million, it is introducing tiered pricing structures, though details are not yet public.

Easy Integration and Support

Integrating with Whym typically takes around 10 minutes through its self-service platform.

A dedicated sales team provides product demonstrations, onboarding assistance, and strategic guidance for campaign creation.

Looking Ahead

With a team of under 50, Whym intends to use the new funding to expand its reach to more brands and accelerate the development of its product roadmap, informed by customer feedback.

To date, the startup has raised a total of $7 million in funding.