Top 10 luxury startups to watch this year

This year I was invited to ESERP Business school to give classes about luxury industry and technology ( here you may find my articles about digital luxury strategy tips and the role of technology in the luxury industry ). This time I focused more on luxury startups, as they are a symbol of innovation and creativity. The luxury landscape is changing because of technological advances and the success of startups around the world.

More and more luxury brands are recognizing the innovation of startups and even acquiring them for their technology and for future growth. For example, the world’s leading luxury group, LVMH launched “LVMH Innovation Award” to stimulate bright ideas and innovation. More than 500 startups participated in this competition and start-up Heuritech, which offers an AI-powered virtual assistant capable of spotting the latest fashion trends, won the award.

According to Trendwatching’s Future of Luxury report, rising affluence and mobile connectivity have created an epic shift towards more varied, complex, individualized and meaningful forms of luxury consumption. For example, the JetSmarter app can be used to book an entire unused private jet for personal use, while in Cancun, high-worth tourists can use the Uber-style Quiero Taxi Exótico app to hire a fleet of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and a vintage Mercedes-Benz.

Today I would like to share with you my list with top luxury startups shaking up the industry.
There’s always something exciting launching so we’ll take a look at what’s been going on around the globe. And If you know other luxury startups that deserve to be on this list, feel free to add it in the comments section below! I would love to know about it!

So, here you have the list!

Top 10 luxury startups to watch this year

1.Unmade
Unmade is a complete digital solution that enables fashion brands to create unique customisation experiences on an industrial scale. With the Unmade customization editor, consumers see exactly what they are going to get. Their platform gives brands the ability to offer customisable products and manufacture the results.

2. Lyst
Lyst aggregates items from more than 10000 premium and luxury e-commerce sites into a personalised feed and universal shopping cart. It also gives in-store shoppers the ability to receive special alerts when they walk close to items that offer a great deal. Lyst connects millions of shoppers globally with over 11,000 designers and stores, from Burberry, Valentino, Alexander McQueen and J.Crew to Lane Crawford, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods and Neiman Marcus. With an inventory of over 3 million fashion products and access to 4.5million changing fashion data points every hour, Lyst is a definitive new source of global fashion intelligence. This level of service and insight comes from analysing product changes and user behaviour plus sales and active browsing.

3. Secret Escapes
This is a members-only travel flash sale site which offers exclusive discounted rates, up to 70% off, for luxury hotels and holidays. Secret Escapes operates in 21 countries worldwide and is the UK’s biggest members-only website that runs best-in-market flash sales of four-and five-star hotels and holidays.

4. Urban Massage
Referring to itself as “the Uber of massage”, this service connects qualified therapists to clients in need of a therapeutic body pummelling at their home, hotel or office. All within one hour!
They want to make wellness rituals accessible in all urban cities. Making balance an integral part of the cosmopolitan urban lifestyle. They have a world-class international team, can be found in five cities across Europe, and have matched hundreds of thousands of people with thousands of expert massage therapists.

5. Cudoni
Cudoni is an e-commerce business dedicated to selling pre-owned luxury goods with a focus on exceptional service, an ethical outlook and the utmost convenience. Each customer is treated to the same VIP service, at no extra cost. They sell any luxury item, not just fashion, and they have a focus on simplicity. Their expert team manages the entire process, from free collection at your convenience, through to sale and payment – to you or your chosen charity.

6. Heuritech
Heuritech offers an AI-powered virtual assistant capable of spotting the latest fashion trends. The first customer and early partner of Heuritech was the French luxury house, Louis Vuitton.
Heuritech uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan millions of images from social media platforms each day, presenting fashion teams with actionable insights to unlock product potential, quantify trends and get to know clients better. Having won the LVMH Innovation Award 2017, Heuritech is leading the next generation of heightening the luxury consumer’s experience.

7. Set Jet
Set Jet is a Membership based social network platform, available exclusively for its security pre-screened and approved Members. Membership is exclusive and available to a limited number of approved members in each city. The Set Jet concept was created in order to provide its Members with an unparalleled method of VIP air transportation to six of the most frequently traveled destinations on the West Coast; Scottsdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Cabo San Lucas and Aspen, as well as non-stop flights between Los Angeles and New York City. Set Jet provides this unique members only based service from non-congested and conveniently located VIP private terminals, without the traditional inconveniences related to commercial air travel, such as advance notice for booking flights, price premiums for last minute travel, time allowance for driving to primary airports, check-in requirements, security delays and parking expenses.

8. Bidtotrip
It is an auction platform that allows travellers to bid for and win luxury travel packages. The auctions start from zero, and allow you to save up to 95% of the total price. Every winner receives a voucher for a stay in a beautiful 4 or 5 hotel in some of the multiple stunning locations they offer around the world. Bidtotrip aims to connect millions of empty luxury rooms with everyone around the globe who wants to live an awesome experience.

9. Rebag
Meet Rebag, the online luxury handbag authority that rethinks the role of luxury in the secondary market: buy, sell, repeat. It is a fashion re-commerce startup based in New York City and founded by a team out of Harvard Business School. With a unique business model that takes the clutter out of the resale process by creating a simplified digital experience, Rebag puts the seller first and caters to a growing segment of consumers who are looking at the ownership of luxury goods in a more sustainable way.

10. Velvetcase
Velvetcase is a fine jewellery online platform that brings together the best independent designers from across the world. The vision behind Velvetcase is to create an intelligent, contemporary platform for jewellery lovers seeking modern and contemporary designs, high quality finish and personal touch.The site is a bridge between the accessibility of the Internet and the charm of culling through unique and different designs created by global designers in New York, Mumbai, Kuwait, Milan, Jaipur, Kolkatta and several other places where fine jewellery is an art. The team strives hard to create a rich, cultural destination for jewelry lovers – powered by unique experiences and inspirations of individual designers embodied in their designs. They leverage cutting edge technology tools to allow customers to personalize these designs in various colours of gold and qualities of diamonds per their needs and budget.

I hope you found this list interesting, to be honest, some of these luxury startups were a true discovery for me! Feel free to add others in the comments section below, I love to discover new projects and ideas.

Thanks!

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