Eleven James is a technology company.
Eleven James has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Eleven James has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Eleven James was a luxury watch subscription service that allowed members to rent high-end timepieces from brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Breitling through a membership model, often called the "Netflix of watches."[1][2][3] It served affluent enthusiasts seeking experiential luxury without ownership, offering curated collections, concierge services, exclusive events, and a "Watch and Earn" consignment program where owners could monetize idle watches for monthly payments.[1][3] The company solved access barriers in the luxury watch market by pioneering a sharing-economy approach, raising $40M+ in funding before shutting down in August 2018 due to financing issues, with its domain later auctioned.[2][3][5]
Founded in 2013 (launching operations in 2014) in New York City by Randy Brandoff—former NetJets CMO and Tequila Avion co-founder—alongside Olivier Reza (later CEO) and Rotimi Akinyemiju, Eleven James emerged from Brandoff's expertise in luxury rentals and passion for watches.[2][3][4] The idea blended sharing-economy models like Airbnb with high-end timepieces, targeting younger consumers and collectors weary of full ownership commitments.[1][4] Early traction included a $6.72M Series A, scaling to $38-40M total funding from investors like BoxGroup by 2017, plus innovations like Watch and Earn in late 2017 amid partnerships for brand strategy.[1][2][3]
Eleven James rode the subscription and sharing economy wave (2013-2018), applying Netflix/Uber/Airbnb logic to $50B+ luxury watch market rigid with ownership norms and high barriers.[1][2][4] Timing aligned with digital luxury shifts, millennial preferences for access over assets, and VC enthusiasm for "as-a-service" models post-ride-sharing boom.[3] It influenced ecosystems by proving consignment viability for hard assets, inspiring rental plays in fashion/jewelry, though shutdown highlighted financing risks in capital-intensive luxury tech.[3][5]
Eleven James exemplified bold subscription disruption in luxury but faltered on funding sustainability despite $40M raised and peak thousands of members.[3] Post-2018 shutdown, its model echoes in surviving watch rental services, shaped by e-commerce growth and economic cycles favoring access. Domain sales signal no revival, yet trends like experiential luxury and asset-sharing could resurrect similar ventures—Eleven James remains a cautionary tale of timing triumph turned financing tragedy in tech's luxury pivot.[2][3][5]
Eleven James has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Eleven James's investors include BoxGroup, Dundee VC, ENIAC Ventures, RRE Ventures, SoftBank Capital.
Eleven James has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in December 2013.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2013 | $1.0M Seed | BoxGroup, Dundee VC, ENIAC Ventures, RRE Ventures, SoftBank Capital |