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West Tenth operates a digital marketplace designed to connect local, home-based entrepreneurs with customers seeking a variety of services and goods. The platform focuses on providing an accessible infrastructure for individuals, predominantly women, to monetize their skills and creativity by offering locally crafted products and specialized services directly to their communities. This approach leverages technology to empower micro-businesses and facilitate local commerce.
The company was founded in 2019 by Lyn Johnson and Sara Taten. Their core insight stemmed from recognizing the untapped potential within home-based businesses, particularly among women, who often possess valuable skills but lack effective channels to reach a broader local clientele. Johnson and Taten established West Tenth to bridge this gap, enabling entrepreneurs to transform their talents into viable economic opportunities within their immediate geographic areas.
West Tenth primarily serves women entrepreneurs who seek to build and grow their businesses on their own terms, reaching customers within their local communities. The platform’s vision is centered on fostering economic independence and community connection, allowing these entrepreneurs to thrive by offering unique services and goods. It aims to be the premier destination for discovering and supporting local talent and enterprise.
West Tenth has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.
West Tenth has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
West Tenth has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
West Tenth's investors include Better Ventures.
West Tenth has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in March 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2021 | $2M Seed | — | Better Ventures | Announced |
West Tenth is a digital marketplace platform that empowers women-led home-based businesses by connecting them with local customers for personalized goods and services.[1][2][3] Primarily serving women entrepreneurs—who run 66% of U.S. small home-based businesses but capture only 4% of consumer spending—it solves the visibility and sales gap for micro-entrepreneurs lacking advertising budgets, offering a mobile app for browsing, messaging, in-app payments via Stripe (with a 9.5% commission), and business education programs.[2][3][6] The platform emphasizes unique, non-replicable products over mass-market items, bans multi-level marketing (MLMs), and supports local focus with global shipping options; top users see 35% annual revenue growth, with rapid expansion from 20 to over 600 businesses since 2019, now adding cities like Phoenix and Boise.[2][3]
Founded in 2019 by sisters Lyn Johnson (CEO) and Sara Sparhawk (COO), West Tenth emerged from the stark disparity where women dominate home-based businesses yet struggle with market access.[1][2][6] The idea stemmed from recognizing home-based work's flexibility for caregivers, particularly women who often pause careers for family; the founders aimed to create an accessible platform for "everyday talents" without needing formal credentials.[2][3] Early traction came via Kansas City TechStars accelerator, growing from 20 businesses in suburban L.A. and Salt Lake City; a $1.5M seed round in 2021, led by Better Ventures and including Stand Together Ventures Lab, fueled product development and user base expansion.[3][6]
West Tenth rides the creator economy and gig platform wave, amplified by post-pandemic shifts toward flexible, home-based work amid economic pressures like inflation and remote lifestyles.[2][3] Timing aligns with 33.2 million U.S. small businesses (46% of private workforce), where women seek alternatives to traditional jobs or MLMs; market forces like rising e-commerce (local delivery boom) and social commerce favor its hyper-local model over giants like Amazon.[2][5] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing entrepreneurship—boosting women's economic participation, closing spending gaps, and fostering community ingenuity—while supported by impact investors like Stand Together, it challenges replicable-product dominance in marketplaces.[1][2][3]
West Tenth is poised for scaled national rollout, potentially exceeding a dozen new cities annually with features like advanced social proof and global shipping to retain growing businesses longer.[2][3] Trends like AI-driven personalization, rising female workforce re-entry, and localism in e-commerce will propel it, evolving from "weigh station" to ecosystem hub as users graduate to larger ventures. Its influence may expand by inspiring similar niche platforms, ultimately amplifying women-owned businesses' share of consumer dollars and redefining micro-entrepreneurship success.[2]
