A customer review platform for merchants using the e-commerce website Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) is hiring after securing $26 million in new capital.
Okendo, an Australian company with a U.S. office in Miami, raised the series A financing in an investment round led by San Francisco venture capital firm Base10 Partners, with participation from Craft Ventures and existing investor Index Ventures.
CEO Matthew Goodman said Okendo aims to have 130 employees by the end of 2022. The company currently has a team of 80 based across Australia and the U.S.
Founded in 2017, the startup is now backed by more than $31 million in investor capital. Shopify sellers can use Okendo to collect product ratings and reviews from customers, and then showcase those reviews online to attract new buyers and increase sales.
"With more than 90% of shoppers reading reviews before buying, reviews are an integral component of online shopping and are essential to the growth strategy of modern commerce brands,” Goodman said in a statement.
It's unclear whether the startup will recruit remote workers or hire in South Florida as it expands. Goodman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The marketing platform has been used by more than 5,000 brands to drive sales, including canned water company Liquid Death and SKIMs, a shapewear brand launched by Kim Kardashian.
Okendo reports that shoppers that use the app have a 2.5 times higher conversation rate and 15% higher average order value compared to shoppers that did not interact with the platform.
"We see a significant opportunity to expand our customer-centric platform to help merchants deepen their customer relationships and engage more intentionally with customers," Goodman said.
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