Brandless

About Brandless

Brandless shut down in February 2020 after raising 295 million. The direct to consumer startup sold generic household products for 3 each. SoftBank Vision Fund invested 240 million in 2018 at a 500 million valuation. CEO Tina Sharkey resigned in 2019. The company struggled with unit economics. Shipping costs for low price items were unsustainable. Brandless relaunched in 2020 under new ownership but with higher prices. The case illustrates how venture capital can push startups to scale before achieving sustainable unit economics. The SoftBank Vision Fund lost most of its investment. Brandless was one of several SoftBank Vision Fund portfolio companies that failed, alongside WeWork, Wag, and Zume Pizza.