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Man Crates designs and distributes curated gift packages, primarily delivered in sealed wooden crates that require a crowbar to open, creating a distinctive unpacking experience. The company’s offerings span various themes and interests, moving beyond conventional gift options to provide engaging, memorable products. This approach centers on delivering not just items, but an interactive moment for the recipient, distinguishing its retail strategy in the gifting market.
The company was founded in 2011 by Jonathan Beekman, with Sam Gong joining as co-founder and CTO. Beekman's founding insight stemmed from the observation that the market lacked genuinely thoughtful and exciting gift options for men, often relegating them to uninspired choices. He aimed to disrupt this by creating gifts that were inherently masculine, practical, and offered an element of fun and challenge from the moment they arrived.
Man Crates initially targeted men, seeking to fill a void in a market saturated with generic presents. Today, while maintaining its signature rugged aesthetic, the company has expanded its offerings to cater to a broader audience, focusing on delivering unique and experience-driven gifts for various recipients and occasions. Its ongoing vision is to redefine gifting by offering products that are not only desirable but also contribute to an unforgettable experience.
Man Crates has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Man Crates has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Man Crates has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in December 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2014 | $3M Seed | — | Accelerator Ventures, Catapult Capital, Center Electric, CP Ventures, CRV, Daffy, Fifth Wall, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Greylock, Javelin Venture Partners, Kain Capital, Khosla Ventures, Outlander Labs, Partech Ventures, ThirdLove, True Ventures, Unpopular Ventures, Clark Landry, Ding Zhou, Erik Moore, Scott Banister, Chris Erickson, Chris Herndon, John Kobs, MAC Harman, Pete Koomen, SAM Yagan, Eric Chen, Rothenberg Ventures, Sovereign's Capital, Tekton Ventures | Announced |
Man Crates has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Man Crates's investors include Accelerator Ventures, Catapult Capital, Center Electric, CP Ventures, CRV, Daffy, Fifth Wall, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Greylock, Javelin Venture Partners, Kain Capital, Khosla Ventures.
Man Crates is an e-commerce company specializing in unique, themed gift crates for men, featuring products like jerky, grilling gear, whiskey accessories, and DIY kits packed in wooden crates that require a crowbar to open.[1][2][3][5] It serves gift buyers such as wives, friends, and colleagues seeking fun, personalized options for occasions like birthdays and holidays, solving the challenge of finding engaging "manly" gifts in a market often dominated by generic items.[2][5] With $21.6 million in annual revenue, around 38-50 employees, and steady growth since its early funding rounds totaling about $3-5 million, Man Crates operates from San Mateo/Redwood City, California, focusing on innovative packaging and curation to drive customer delight in the competitive online gifting space.[1][2][3][5]
Founded in 2011-2012 by Jon Beekman (CEO) and a co-founder, Man Crates started in a Palo Alto apartment where the team worked unpaid initially, brainstorming ways to make gift-giving exciting for men through crowbar-opening crates.[1][3][5] The idea emerged from recognizing the gap in fun, experiential men's gifts, leading to early hits like the Premium Jerky Ammo Can and Whiskey Appreciation Crate.[5] Pivotal traction came in September 2012 with $500,000 from Stanford-network investors, enabling a warehouse move; by late 2014, a $2.5 million round supported team expansion to 50 full-time employees and multiple warehouses.[5] This bootstrapped-to-funded path highlights scrappy innovation in e-commerce gifting.
Man Crates rides the e-commerce personalization and experiential retail trend, capitalizing on direct-to-consumer gifting growth amid rising online shopping (classified in E-Commerce expert collections).[3] Timing aligns with post-2010s DTC boom, where niche curation and social-media-friendly unboxings (e.g., crowbar reveals) leverage platforms like Instagram for viral marketing, especially in a fragmented $100B+ U.S. gifting market.[1][3] Favorable forces include demand for non-generic men's gifts and corporate gifting shifts online; it influences the ecosystem by pioneering "adventure gifting" models adopted by competitors in food/drink/outdoor niches.[2][5]
Man Crates appears poised for sustained growth in personalized e-commerce, potentially expanding maker kits, subscriptions, or international shipping amid rising experiential gifting trends like sustainability-focused curation.[2][5] AI-driven personalization and social commerce could amplify its unboxing virality, while economic upturns boost discretionary spending on $50+ crates. Its influence may evolve toward B2B corporate gifting dominance, building on Series B-stage stability—watch for acquisition by larger DTC players or new funding to scale beyond $21M revenue. This e-commerce innovator proves niche delight drives loyalty in tech-enabled retail.
