Exclusive: Warby Parker Seeks to Raise $75 Million
Warby Parker is looking to raise $75 million for its Series E round of financing, Cheddar has learned.
The eyewear company disclosed its plans to raise money in a filing with the state of Delaware on March 7 that was signed by its president Neil Blumenthal and provided to Cheddar by [Lagniappe Labs](https://primeunicornindex.com/).
A spokesperson for Warby Parker didn't respond to a request for comment.
The company last raised $100 million in 2015 for its Series D at a $1.2 billion valuation. It's is seeking a higher share price for its Series E, which indicates that its valuation will likely be higher after it completes the financing round.
Since last raising money, Warby Parker has significantly expanded its retail footprint and plans to have nearly 100 stories open in the U.S. by the end of 2018. Last year it opened a $16 million optical lab dedicated to building its own glasses in-house. And in January, it started selling products for kids for the first time.
Warby Parker has raised $216 million in total since its founding in 2010 from investors such as General Catalyst, T. Rowe Price, and Lerer Hippeau Ventures.
*Reporting by Alex Heath*
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
