The social commerce platform for outdoor enthusiasts, GoWild, has completed a $2.25M series seed funding round, with around $800K of the round closing in the pandemic. 

The funding positions the company to expand its social commerce technology, which provides insights into trending gear among anglers, hunters, firearms enthusiasts and outdoor pursuits. Matt Kubancik, an ecommerce veteran who built and sold Street Moda and cofounded inventory management system, SkuVault, has also joined GoWild as the Director of Ecommerce Operations. GoWild will launch its new social commerce website in October. 

“We exist to unlock the gate to the outdoors and make it accessible for everyone," said GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell. "That starts with finding the right gear. Today, social commerce technology is merely transactional and not really social at all. We are focused on meaningfully showcasing gear that’s proven, and relevant to your interests.”  

“Today, social commerce technology is merely transactional and not really social at all. We are focused on meaningfully showcasing gear that’s proven, and relevant to your interests.” 
– GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell

GoWild will continue to expand its social functionality, which is the driver of its ecommerce experience. Members share their fishing, camping, hunting and other outdoor pursuits, tagging gear in a similar fashion to an @ mention on other platforms. With this information, GoWild has insights into the most popular brands and products, which it utilizes to help its community shop smarter and with ease.

“Being at the forefront of a company who is poised to become a tremendous technology and e-commerce player is something I could not sit on the sidelines for," said Kubancik. "Based on global and social trends in 2020, GoWild is poised to rapidly grow a diehard user base and become the top outdoor technology and retail company in the world.” 

GoWild’s ecommerce product has seen significant surges since March. Gear searches increased 44% in the first 30 days after lockdown, and today the average ecommerce shopper is viewing 158 products per month. Members build “Gear Setups,” or collections of gear they use in the field, and the average setup is worth $3,192, which Luttrell asserts highlights the buying power of the outdoor consumer. 

POMA Members

GoWild is building out drop shipping relationships for its new ecommerce platform. If you are interested, email Brad (brad at timetogowild dot com).