Voila7, a social commerce platform that helps creators monetize their content has just closed US$6 million in seed funding. The company uses AI technology to automatically detect shoppable items in creators’ online content, then generates URL links to the brand’s website so fans can buy. This saves users having to leave the social platform in question in order to shop. If the product is sold out at one retailer, Voila can find an alternative stockist.
In addition, the solution – which creators can connect to their Instagram or TikTok accounts – uses machine learning to build out an extended list of recommendations at different price points, and generates affiliate links to those items as well.
“We like certain influencers’ or celebrities’ lifestyles, but we can’t afford those styles,” founder Ke Shang explains8. “That shouldn’t stop our pursuit. You have options. It’s just a way to make sure that everyone finds the right thing and increases the creators’ content-inspired sales.”
Currently, over 10,000 creators from around the world (though predominantly North America) have signed up to Voila, whilst over 70,000,000 product clicks have been registered. The company makes money by taking a percentage of every sale made.