What is Curbside?
Founded in 2013 by former leaders in location innovation at Apple, Curbside, now operating as Rakuten Ready, specializes in predictive arrival technology. The company provides solutions designed to enhance Order for Pickup experiences, enabling businesses to drive demand and deliver superior service. Rakuten Ready partners with prominent brands such as Kroger, Applebee's, PetSmart, Petco, Nordstrom, and Chick-fil-A, powering their mobile order for pickup programs. The company joined the Rakuten family in 2018, a move aimed at accelerating its predictive arrival technology and scaling its operations globally.
How much funding has Curbside raised?
Curbside has raised a total of $34.9M across 4 funding rounds:
Angel/Seed
$1.5M
Series A
$8M
Series B
$25M
Debt
$350K
Angel/Seed (2013): $1.5M with participation from AME Cloud, WGI Group, TenOneTen, Chicago Ventures, and Innovation Endeavors
Series A (2014): $8M led by WGI Group, TenOneTen, AME Cloud Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, Ou2019Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Chicago Ventures, and Index Ventures
Series B (2015): $25M supported by Qualcomm Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, Index Ventures, and AME Cloud Ventures
Debt (2020): $350K featuring PPP
Key Investors in Curbside
WGI Group
WGI Group is an investment group comprised of experienced entrepreneurs who aim to fund other entrepreneurs. Their notable past investment was in Right Media, which was acquired by Yahoo!.
TenOneTen
TenOneTen Ventures is a Los Angeles-based venture firm that invests in startups utilizing data and technology to disrupt established industries.
AME Cloud Ventures
AME Cloud Ventures, led by Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, focuses on seed to later-stage companies building data infrastructure and value chains, investing in technology-heavy firms across the data stack.
What's next for Curbside?
The substantial enterprise-level funding and recent strategic investment suggest Rakuten Ready is poised for significant expansion and further development of its predictive arrival technology. The company's focus on optimizing the 'Order for Pickup' experience aligns with the growing consumer demand for convenient and efficient retail interactions. Future growth is likely to involve deeper integration with existing partners, expansion into new markets, and continued innovation in leveraging data for enhanced logistics and customer service. The company's trajectory indicates a strong potential for market leadership in the evolving landscape of retail technology.
See full Curbside company page
