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Summersalt operates as a direct-to-consumer women's apparel brand, specializing in stylish and functional wardrobe essentials. The company provides a comprehensive range of clothing, including swimwear crafted from recycled materials, dresses, tops, bottoms, and maternity wear. It focuses on expertly crafted, confidence-boosting designs, emphasizing the use of eco-friendly fabrics in its production processes.
The company was founded in 2017 by Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin and Lori Coulter. Their initial insight stemmed from identifying a market need for high-quality, sustainably produced swimwear and essential apparel for women. St. Louis-based, Summersalt quickly expanded its offerings beyond its initial swimwear launch.
Summersalt caters to a broad community of inspiring women, offering apparel designed for travel and everyday wear. The company's long-term vision centers on establishing itself as a definitive brand for wardrobe essentials, empowering women through comfortable and well-designed clothing as they navigate their lives.
Summersalt has raised $25.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Summersalt has raised $25.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Summersalt has raised $25.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $17.0M Series B in December 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2019 | $17M Series B | JOE Kaiser | Cultivation Capital, Maveron, Vanessa Larco, Amit Mukherjee, Dundee Venture Capital, Founders Fund, Lewis & Clark Ventures, Revolution, Victress Capital | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2018 | $6M Series A | Peter Thiel | Cultivation Capital, Maveron, Vanessa Larco, Amit Mukherjee, Bill Rancic, Giuliana Rancic, Amplifyher Ventures, Breakout Capital, Dundee Venture Capital, Lewis & Clark Ventures, M25, Revolution, Victress Capital | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2018 | $2M Seed | Dundee Venture Capital | Cultivation Capital, Maveron, Vanessa Larco, Amit Mukherjee, Breakout Capital, M25, Revolution, Silas Capital, Syndicate Fund, Victress Capital | Announced |
Summersalt has raised $25.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Summersalt's investors include Joe Kaiser, Cultivation Capital, Maveron, Vanessa Larco, Amit Mukherjee, Dundee Venture Capital, Founders Fund, Lewis & Clark Ventures, Revolution, Victress Capital, Peter Thiel, Bill Rancic.
Summersalt is a direct-to-consumer apparel brand specializing in women's swimwear, loungewear, activewear, and related essentials, founded in 2017 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.[1][2][3] It serves women seeking comfortable, well-fitting clothing that challenges unrealistic beauty standards, using data from 1.5 million measurements of 10,000 real women to engineer superior fit, sustainable recycled materials, and premium quality at accessible prices.[1][2][4] The company solves the problem of ill-fitting, over-sexualized swimwear in a male-dominated industry by offering designer-level products via e-commerce, with expansions into multiple categories and over 3.5 million garments sold, backed by $26.9M–$45M in funding through Series B.[1][2]
Summersalt has shown strong growth momentum, earning accolades like CNBC’s Top 100 Upstarts in 2019 and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2020, while building a loyal customer base through social media, collaborations (e.g., Rifle Paper Co.), and a mission-driven focus on empowerment and eco-friendliness.[1][2][3]
Summersalt was co-founded in 2017 by Lori Coulter (CEO) and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin, who met serendipitously in 2016 at New York City's Gramercy Park Hotel.[1][2] Coulter brought expertise in swimwear manufacturing and a business plan to revolutionize the shopping experience from intimidating to empowering; Chamberlin contributed marketing savvy, creating an ideal partnership.[2] Launched from St. Louis, the brand quickly disrupted the industry with data-driven fit based on women's body scans, sustainable fabrics, and a direct-to-consumer model, addressing decades of unrealistic standards.[1][4]
Early traction came from resonant messaging—"designer swimwear without the designer price tag"—leading to rapid recognition, investor interest ($45M raised), and awards like the 2020 LEAD Award for Breakout Company.[1]
Summersalt rides the wave of data science in consumer apparel, blending body-scan tech with DTC e-commerce to personalize fit in a market ripe for disruption—historically male-led and standards-obsessed.[1][2] Timing aligns with rising demand for sustainable, inclusive fashion amid climate awareness and body-positivity movements, amplified by post-2017 e-commerce booms and social media influence.[1][3][4] Favorable forces include women's empowerment trends, eco-conscious consumerism, and VC interest in femtech-adjacent innovations, positioning Summersalt to influence DTC norms by proving data + sustainability scales loyalty (e.g., 3.5M+ garments sold).[2]
Summersalt is poised for category dominance by deepening tech integrations like AI-driven personalization and expanding globally, capitalizing on its fit data moat amid growing active-lifestyle and sustainable apparel markets.[1][2] Trends like circular fashion, inclusive sizing via AR try-ons, and fem-led brands will propel it, potentially evolving into a full lifestyle ecosystem with retail partnerships. As a pioneer redefining women's wardrobes, Summersalt exemplifies how data empowers real bodies—scaling from swimwear disruptor to enduring essentials leader.[1][4]
