HiYo, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) firm with the goal of reducing the cost of customer acquisition (CAC) by utilizing active communities, has secured $500K (Rs 4.1 crore) in a fundraising round. Both Shachin Bharadwaj, founder of Zeno Collectibles, and Arun Prabhudesai, CEO and creator of Armoks Media, took part in the round.
HiYo, an organization run by Yash Garg, wants to enter the consumer technology market and launch at least one additional brand this year. A large portion of the money is spent on things like marketing because CACs for D2C businesses are always growing. By incorporating a layer of commerce into creator-led communities, HiYo seeks to drastically lower CACs while also streamlining the D2C model from the consumer’s perspective.
The startup’s initial brand, FAADU!, which debuted in March 2023, offers fashionable clothing to the devoted and active audience of communities like Shorts Break and Take a Break. HiYo wants to make FAADU!’s services available to more creators.
“Content is driving the future of commerce, and HiYo seems set to become a major player,” said Arun Prabhudesai. Shachin Bharadwaj, at the event, said, “Adding a commerce layer to an engaging large community creates a new distribution-first marketing opportunity”.
