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§ Private Profile · 2216 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, USA
Outer is a technology company.
Outer designs and manufactures premium outdoor furniture, including modular sofas, dining sets, and fire pits. The company employs proprietary innovations like the OuterShell® cover system and uses durable, high-performance materials. This technical focus on craftsmanship and sustainable practices results in resilient, comfortable pieces that enhance outdoor living spaces.
Co-founded in 2017 by Jiake Liu and furniture designer Terry Lin, Outer stemmed from a recognized market need for innovative, durable, and comfortable outdoor furnishings. Lin’s extensive design background provided expertise, complementing Liu’s vision for crafting refined solutions that foster deeper engagement with natural environments.
Outer targets homeowners seeking elevated outdoor areas with aesthetically pleasing and lasting furniture. The company’s mission is to inspire conscious connection among individuals, their communities, and the natural world. Through sustainable, comfortable products, Outer encourages users to disconnect from digital life and cultivate enriching outdoor experiences.
Outer has raised $65.2M across 4 funding rounds.
Outer has raised $65.2M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Outer refers to multiple technology-related entities, but the most prominent matching the description is Outer, a direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture company leveraging technology for e-commerce, design, and customer experience. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Outer builds modular, weather-resistant outdoor furniture with innovative materials like recycled ocean plastic. It serves homeowners and outdoor living enthusiasts, solving the problem of durable, stylish, low-maintenance furnishings in a fragmented market lacking dominant players. With 49 employees, $13.3M revenue, and $75.5M total funding—including a $50M Series B in 2021—Outer shows strong growth momentum, aiming to lead via 1,000+ Neighborhood Showrooms and direct sales.[2]
A secondary match is Outer Edge Technology, LLC, an IT services firm designing, building, and managing secure cloud/hybrid data centers and IT environments for businesses, especially regulated ones. It offers IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and advisory services (OET Advisors™) to SMBs, emphasizing SOC 2 compliance, ITIL, and expertise from Fortune 100 data centers.[1]
For Outer (furniture): Founded in 2017 by Jiake Liu and other entrepreneurs, Outer emerged from a vision to disrupt outdoor living with tech-enabled retail. The idea stemmed from identifying gaps in durable, customizable furniture amid rising demand for home outdoor spaces. Early traction came from direct-to-consumer sales and innovative showrooms, accelerating with $50M Series B funding in 2021 led by Capital Today, Tribe Capital, and others like Sequoia Capital China—fueling expansion as the "fastest growing DTC home brand of 2020."[2]
For Outer Edge Technology: Operating for over a decade (pre-2016 based on "over a decade" claims), it evolved from enterprise data center expertise to serving SMBs via OET Advisors™, drawing on engineers' Fortune 100 experience. Pivotal moments include building compliant environments (ITAR, HIPAA) and shifting to consultative cloud optimization.[1]
Outer (furniture) stands out in e-commerce and retail tech:
Outer Edge Technology differentiates in IT infrastructure:
Outer (furniture) rides the outdoor living and DTC boom, amplified by post-pandemic home improvement trends and e-commerce tech. Timing aligns with remote work's decline and backyard demand; market forces like sustainable materials and showroom networks position it against fragmented competitors. It influences DTC by blending physical community touchpoints with tech scalability, potentially redefining retail in lifestyle sectors.[2]
Outer Edge Technology taps cloud migration and hybrid IT trends, critical for SMBs navigating cybersecurity/compliance amid digital transformation. It bridges enterprise-grade expertise to smaller firms, aiding regulated sectors like finance/healthcare, and supports ecosystem resilience via secure infrastructure.[1]
Outer (furniture) is poised for dominance in outdoor living as sustainability and smart-home integrations grow; expect showroom expansion, AI-driven customization, and international push, evolving from DTC upstart to category leader amid climate-resilient design trends.
Outer Edge Technology will thrive on AI/edge computing demands, likely deepening managed services and zero-trust security—shaping SMB resilience in a cyber-threatened world.
Both exemplify tech's role in everyday enhancement, from living spaces to business infrastructure—tying back to innovative problem-solving at their core.
Outer has raised $65.2M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $50.0M Series B in September 2021.
Outer has raised $65.2M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Outer's investors include Accel, Advancit Capital, Antler, Capital Today, Dreamers VC, Equity Alliance, Geodesic Capital, Goat Capital, Kli Capital, Lakestar, M25, Malex Enterprises.