Allow me to introduce you to Abe’s Market, a lovely online marketplace where people go to buy and sell all things natural, from kids clothing and toys to snacks and even personal care products. The Buffalo Grove, IL-based company essentially aims to connect buyers looking for great natural products – whose numbers are growing consistently – with the people who make them.
Nothing ground-breaking, but a very well executed and potentially really lucrative venture.
In a lot of ways, it reminds me of another startup I just wrote up: CustomMade, which connects buyers and sellers of artisan-made furniture and whatnot. And like CustomMade, Abe’s Market and its founding managers Jon Polin and Richard Demb have captured the attention of investors who want to help the startup grow its business and profile.
And not just from anyone: Abe’s Market has raised angel funding from Index Ventures / Saul Klein, TAG, former head of Yahoo Europe Toby Coppel, David Honig (Vison Ventures) and Mark Esiri (Venrex UK). On its advisory board, we find people like Doug Galen (SVP of Business Development at Shutterfly), Brian Tockman (former Senior Buyer at Target) and Israel Ganot, President and CEO of Gazelle.
What I like about Abe’s Market so much is the focus on the origin of the products that are on display, and the attention that is given to the story and people behind them.
The startup rightly points out that all too often, modern-day consumers purchase products without knowing or caring who makes them, what is in them and how they are made. Abe’s Market even provides the opportunity for buyers to directly get in touch with sellers if they have specific questions.
Abe’s Market is also counting on the pride of many who use the marketplace from the buying side, by letting people share their purchases with their friends. The startup rewards people who do that with an instant discount on the products in their cart, and by passing that discount on to the people that the purchases were shared with.
Check it out and let us know what you think.