Etaily secures new funding; to double down on social commerce for brands in SEA

Manila, Philippines – Etaily, a Philippines-based digital-native retail platform, has raised new strategic investments led by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) through its SMBC Asia Rising fund. The latest round brings the company’s total funding to over US$24m. 

Other participants include Kaya Founders, JGDEV of the Gokongwei Group, and other notable Asia-based investors.

Etaily works with a range of consumer brands in Southeast Asia, including Levi’s, Skechers, Abbott, and L’Oreal. The company manages the e-commerce and marketing operations of more than 80 brands and has developed homegrown brands such as Floof Pets and Nutrie supplements. 

Headquartered in the Philippines, Etaily aims to establish a multi-country presence across Malaysia, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian markets. Its partnership with WPP Media seeks to strengthen retail and media enablement capabilities, combining commerce infrastructure with marketing expertise. 

The partnership is intended to serve social commerce needs in the Philippines-Malaysia-Singapore cluster, with lifestyle brands recently onboarded.

Moreover, Etaily has also expanded its board. Ayala Corporation will be represented by Mark Uy, managing director and head of corporate strategy and business development, while Brian Go, chief financial officer of the Gokongwei Group, joins as a new board member. The board also includes representatives from Temasek’s Pavilion Capital and other investors.

Founded in 2020 by Alexander Friedhoff, Etaily has processed more than 40 million orders across Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, and brand.com channels. Its proprietary commerce engine spans brand development, operations, fulfillment, and analytics, including recently launched livestreaming, affiliate programs, and short-form video solutions.

Alexander Friedhoff, founder & CEO of Etaily, said, ”For the last five years, we’ve focused on building etaily into a commerce powerhouse for global brands in Southeast Asia. Now it is time to double down on the latest developments in Social Commerce and Livestreaming. With our massive focus on fully controlled livestream studios we will be able to offer asset-light operations, and now strengthened partnerships and investors, we are positioned to lead the next wave of online-first, offline-to-follow retail in our regional cluster.”

Meanwhile, Katsufumi Uchida, head of Asia-Pacific division and managing executive officer of SMBC, added, “As we celebrate 10 years in the Philippines, SMBC Group remains dedicated to our Asia Multi-Franchise strategy, leveraging our extensive branch network to strengthen our presence in the Philippines and across the region, striving for the continued economic growth in the Philippines. We are excited to contribute to the expansion of local commerce ecosystems and to connect financial services with the evolving digital marketplace through strategic partnerships such as with etaily.”

Etaily’s growth has been supported by a mix of investors, including Ayala Corporation, the Gokongwei Group, Landmark’s Cheng family, and the Po family behind Century Pacific Food Corporation. 

The company’s previous Series A round in 2023 was led by Taiwan’s SKS Capital and Singapore’s Pavilion Capital, with additional participation from the Magsaysay Family, Kaya Founders, Japan’s SBI ICCP Fund, and Foxmont Capital.