Gushcloud's sister firm Summer International bags US$5m funding

Social commerce company and omnichannel platform Summer International has raised US$5 million in seed funding from key investors including Gushcloud International, GDP Ventures, Teja Ventures, and Singaporean angel investors Koh Boon Hwee and Shirley Crystal Tan. 

Its spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the new funding will go towards building out a larger social and live commerce network via the expansion of newer markets. It will also go towards the creation of more social brands and the marketing of these new brands into more markets.

Launched in 2018 alongside sister company Gushcloud International, Summer International is a woman-led company created in Singapore to incubate, market, and distribute next-generation beauty, wellness and lifestyle products globally. Its key marketing plans for 2023 is to collaborate with more influencers and creators to create more social brands to distribute into key markets. Summer International will also be marketing its technology platform to recruit and bring on more social and live commerce distributors across Southeast Asia.

In addition to the new funding, business entrepreneur and investor, Toni Ko, will also join the company as a strategic advisor. Ko is the founder of beauty brand NYX Cosmetics. Summer International targets female consumers between the ages of 18 to 40.

According to the spokesperson, it will continue to focus on multiple digital and offline channels which include eCommerce platforms, social and live commerce platforms as well as offline retail big boxes. The company also plans to utilise its proprietary social commerce platform Summer.store to engage with consumers.

Co-founder and CEO of Summer International, Xiaoshi Kuik said the team is very excited to partner with these key investors and top advisors such as Ko who are leaders in developing, marketing, and scaling global brands and companies.

"Our goal is to deliver an ecosystem that will empower influencers and creators to become social sellers using consumer data and analytics, and then partnering with these category-winning creatives to deliver their own brand into the market," Kuik said.

Ko added: "We hope to bridge the gap between influencers and brands, and also east and west supply chain and distribution models more effectively." Since Summer International's inception, it has incubated a number of creator-led social brands, including skincare brand Baby Face, which partnered with influencer Jamie Chua, and wellness lifestyle brand HANJAN which launched in the US this April at the Coachella Music Festival. HANJAN also recently announced a partnership with singer Nicole Scherzinger.

The company operates in the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia, and has distribution in Southeast Asia.

Related articles:
Cordell Broadus (Champ Medici) on brands giving away power in the metaverse
Gushcloud and Snoop Dogg's son Cordell Broadus unveils giant inflatable art in SG
Gushcloud makes Web3 move signing on Champ Medici owned by Snoop Dogg's son Cordell Broadus
Gushcloud brings on board Sylvia Chan to develop media channels and content, names new commercial head
Gushcloud launches new content house in New York
Gushcloud heads to Coachella with brand activation