Touch of Modern is a technology company.
Touch of Modern has raised $14.0M across 1 funding round.
Touch of Modern has raised $14.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Touch of Modern has raised $14.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Touch of Modern's investors include Partech Ventures.
Touch of Modern is a members-only e-commerce platform founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco (now with corporate offices in Brownsburg, IN), specializing in curated lifestyle products, fashion, and accessories for men.[1][2][4] It serves tech-savvy male millennials and professionals by offering over 250 new-to-market, unique items daily—such as cutting-edge gadgets, designer apparel, and unconventional home goods—not found in traditional retailers, solving the problem of discovery and access to aspirational products for busy men.[1][2][5] With over 20 million users, $113 million in revenue, and a history of rapid growth (e.g., $100 million annual run rate reported earlier, Inc. 5000 recognition), the company has sustained momentum through app-driven sales, national TV campaigns, and partnerships with 5,000+ vendors.[2][4][5]
Touch of Modern was co-founded in 2012 by Jerry Hum (co-founder, former CEO, now Executive Chairman; architecture-trained designer and self-taught coder), Dennis Liu (co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer), Jonathan Wu, and Steven Ou (co-founder, CTO), who relocated from New York to San Francisco to tap into Silicon Valley's investor ecosystem.[3][5][6] The idea emerged from spotting a gap in e-commerce for stylish, tech-oriented men, evolving from an earlier event-discovery app using geofencing for San Francisco happenings, which pivoted to provide transaction relevance through curated products.[3] Early traction came quickly: from initial growth in 2012 daily sales to $100 million run rate by 2016, with 7 million users then scaling to 20 million, fueled by Hum's nightly product curation and a team of 30 buyers.[4][5][7]
Touch of Modern rides the wave of personalized, mobile-first e-commerce and the rise of niche marketplaces targeting underserved demographics like aspirational male millennials amid fragmented retail.[1][5] Timing was ideal post-2012, coinciding with smartphone app maturity, geofencing tech, and a shift from big-box stores to curated online discovery—especially as men embraced direct app purchases over traditional shopping.[3][5] Market forces like vendor influx (5,000+ partners seeking exposure) and e-commerce growth favor it, while influencing the ecosystem by redefining men's shopping (e.g., 150% YoY growth in 2016, Inc. 5000 ranking) and proving curation beats commoditized retail.[4][5][7]
Touch of Modern is poised to expand its curation dominance through AI-enhanced personalization, deeper app integrations, and global vendor partnerships, capitalizing on sustained e-commerce shifts and men's growing demand for unique, story-driven buys.[2][4] Trends like social commerce, sustainable fashion, and AR try-ons will shape its path, potentially driving user growth beyond 20 million and revenue past $113 million via pre-IPO liquidity or acquisition interest from players like Fanatics or Away.[2][6] Its influence may evolve from niche disruptor to broader lifestyle curator, continually redefining discovery for the modern man—much like its founding pivot turned local events into a global men's tastemaker hub.[3][5]
Touch of Modern has raised $14.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $14.0M Series B in June 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2014 | $14.0M Series B | Partech Ventures |