KOIO / Starstruck

BACKGROUND///

The Italian leather high-end sneaker label dedicates itself to making luxury footwear more accessible in the digital era. Its manufacturing headquarters is in Italy in a factory shared with Chanel. The startup sells primarily through its own sales channels, either via its online channels or at its pop-ups/brick-and-mortar locations. Of all its direct sales, 60% come from the web with the remaining 40% coming from retail stores. 

The majority of product releases center around unique limited-release collaborations with personalities, disrupters and artists. The goal of the brand launch campaign was to introduce KOIO as an umbrella for creative expression by bringing together three unique collaborators. For that reason, NOWNESS, a video channel premiering the best in global arts and culture across Art & Design, Culture, Fashion & Beauty, Music and Food & Travel, was chosen as the digital launch platform.

Following the campaign, KOIO raised an additional $6 million in Series A funding, bringing total Series A funding to $9 million. The round was led by Founders Fund, with participation from existing investors Acton Capital Partners and Brand Foundry, among others. Subsequently, Koio expanded into bigger, more prominent brick-and-mortar locations in its strongest cities. The company currently has six stores across New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami.