St. Louis-based clothing brand Summersalt just raised $17.3 million in Series B funding and its founder and CEO said the company's goal is to "provide joy in all of our products."
The company, which launched in 2017 with a line of direct-to-consumer swimwear, uses recycled materials in its popular $95 swimsuits.
"We would never say never [about partnering with a company like Walmart or Amazon] but really the roadmap moving forward is to speak directly to our consumers, cut out the middle-man, and offer a better product for a better price," CEO Lori Coulter told Cheddar. Coulter, a former design professor and swimwear designer, founded Summersalt with marketing and brand consultant Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin.
Summersalt's second round of funding was led by Utah-based venture capital firm Mercato Partners. It last raised $8 million in April in a Series A round and is backed by firms including Founders Fund and Lewis and Clark Ventures.
"We're super excited about the funding," Coulter said. "The main thing we're doing is to continue to deliver on our promise to provide joy in all of our products, to infuse joy in all of our products that we're expanding to."
Since its launch with swimwear, Summersalt has expanded to travel-wear and sleepwear. Chattaram Chamberlin said in a press release "from the moment we launched Summersalt our goal was to own every corner of our customer's suitcase and with this latest round of funding we are one step closer to this."
Cynthia Chen, CEO of Kikoff, shares how their membership app helps users build credit with zero fees, no interest, and smart tools that make every point count.
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will soon engage in "erotica for verified adults." CEO Sam Altman says the company aims to allow more user freedom for adults while setting limits for teens. OpenAI isn't the first to explore sexualized AI, but previous attempts have faced legal and societal challenges. Altman believes OpenAI isn't the "moral police" and wants to differentiate content similar to how Hollywood differentiates R-rated movies. This move could help OpenAI, which is losing money, turn a profit. However, experts express concerns about the impact on real-world relationships and the potential for misuse.
CNN is launching a new “All Access” streaming subscription in the U.S. on October 28th, priced at $6.99 a month, or just $69.99 if you sign up for a full year.
