Whatnot raises $545m to expand live shopping platform

Live shopping platform Whatnot has raised $545 million in a Series G funding round, taking its valuation to $20 billion. The company described it as the largest funding round in live shopping to date, saying the money is "going toward one thing: helping sellers grow."

Founded in 2019 by Grant LaFontaine and Logan Head, Whatnot began as a marketplace for Funko Pop collectibles before expanding into a live shopping platform where individuals sell products directly to viewers through livestreams. The platform now spans categories including fashion, beauty, electronics, homeware and collectibles.

The company also said it plans to invest in trust and safety as it grows.

"We're opening new categories, bringing Whatnot to new markets, and building tools, including AI-assisted ones, that handle the busywork so you can focus on what only you can do: go live, share what you know, and build a community," it said.

Whatnot also shared new figures on the platform's growth. It said sellers had already generated more sales by the halfway point of 2026 than they did during the whole of 2025. More than 650,000 people are joining the platform each week, while the number of sellers who have passed $1 million in lifetime sales has more than doubled over the past year. The share of sellers earning a full-time income through the platform has also increased by 25%.

The raise comes as livestream ecommerce continues to grow in the US. Sales reached $14.64 billion in 2025, up nearly 50% year over year, while the number of livestream shoppers increased 21.5%, according to eMarketer.