eBay, a leading destination for new and pre-loved fashion and luxury, is expanding of its Circular Fashion Fund (CFF) globally.
The fund is designed to help fashion start-ups scale circular solutions, from production to end-of-life, including rental and repair services.
Stateside, the Fund, in partnership with the CFDA, will launch for the first time in 2024. The winner in the U.S. market will receive a $50,000 cash prize, while the two runners-up will receive $25,000 respectively. All three finalists will receive bespoke mentoring sessions, educational workshops and networking opportunities.
The winners will be chosen by a judging panel of industry experts across fashion, academia and sustainability. This panel includes:
- Brittany Sierra, Founder and CEO of the Sustainable Fashion Forum
- Henri Jaanimägi, Global Head of eBay Ventures & Strategic Partnerships
- Jacques Agbobly, Designer & Founder, Agbobly
- John Bartlett, Director, Parsons Fashion Executive & Professional Studies
- Kate Danielsen, eBay Fashion Category Manager
- Kirsty Keoghan, Global GM of Fashion at eBay,
- Margherita Maccapani Missoni, Founder & Designer, Maccapani
- Rachel Cernansky, Sustainability Editor, Vogue Business
- Shelly Xu, Founder, Shelly Xu Design
- Steven Kolb, CEO, CFDA
“The Circular Fashion Fund is a catalyst for collaboration by combining the global scale and power of established companies like eBay with the creativity and innovation of nimble start-ups,” Kirsty Keoghan, Global GM of Fashion at eBay, said. “We’re not only helping to scale circular solutions but bringing together the most knowledgeable and respected experts in the industry. Together, we’re making a positive impact on the circular economy and truly reshaping the future of fashion.”
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb added, “eBay Circular Fashion Fund champions innovative solutions to sustainability in fashion and reflects CFDA’s passion for driving change and motivation to reduce fashion’s environmental impact. We wholeheartedly support eBay’s investment in innovation and education, and their leadership in driving the circular fashion agenda while championing the innovators who are catalysts for positive change.”
Since it launched in the UK in 2022, the CFF has helped 15 businesses scale their circular solutions including The Seam, which allows businesses to offer garment care & repair services at scale to extend the life of clothes, and RCYCL, creators of the innovative at-home fashion recycling program for unwearable clothing. Now in its third year in the UK, the CFF is set to launch in the U.S. and Germany for the first time. It successfully expanded to Australia last year.
The CFF will provide a global investment of $1.2 million to start-ups in the global markets by the end of 2025, and over 200 hours of mentoring and networking support for applicants from industry experts. Past judges have included Hugo Adams, CEO of Kelpi Sustainable Materials and KITX Founder Kit Willow. To further amplify its impact, eBay Ventures will select one winner from the global selection of finalists to become “Circular Fashion Innovator of the Year” and receive an investment of $300,000.
Applications are open from now until November 15, 2024, and innovative tech start-ups and small businesses can apply via eBay’s website.
Click here to apply >
