Tilt raises $26M to scale AI-powered live shopping auctions
What's the deal? Tilt, a London-based live shopping auction app, has raised $26 million in fresh funding, bringing its total raised to $50 million. The startup uses AI to streamline the process of buying and selling goods through livestreamed auctions — a format it pitches as QVC for the social media generation.
Founded in 2021 by ex-Revolut employees Abhi ThanendranDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Neil ShahDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Tilt lets buyers scroll through livestream auctions much like TikTok videos. Sellers go live to showcase products while viewers bid in real time.
The round was led by TQ VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, with participation from Vinted VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — the investment arm of secondhand resale platform Vinted — alongside existing backers Balderton Capital, Earlybird, and Seedcamp.
Why now? AI has become central to Tilt's pitch. Its Snap tool creates auction listings automatically when a seller holds an item up to the camera, generating product descriptions and pricing suggestions in seconds. A copilot feature coaches sellers in real time on how to improve their auctions, while an agentic search function helps buyers find items across live sessions.
"Live commerce is very hard on the seller, and they have to do a lot of things," chief executive Thanendran told Business Insider. "With the AI technology, we can actually take away a lot of those problems."
The startup also uses AI-generated clips posted on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts to help sellers grow their audiences.
What could go wrong? Tilt is competing directly with TikTok Shop and eBay Live — platforms with massive existing user bases and deep pockets. Convincing both sellers and buyers to adopt a new app in a market already crowded with social commerce options is no small task.
The company makes money by charging fees, primarily on the buyer side, with a smaller cut from sellers. Whether that model can scale profitably against incumbents remains to be seen.
The signal: Live commerce has exploded in Asia but has struggled to gain the same traction in Western markets. Tilt's bet is that AI can solve the friction that has held it back — particularly the burden on sellers, who must juggle product presentation, pricing, and audience engagement simultaneously.
Thanendran said the funding will go towards building more AI-powered products, scaling the team, and expanding across Europe and into the US. "A big part of Tilt is we want to help anybody start from nothing and become superstars," he said.
Vinted Ventures' participation is notable — it suggests established resale platforms see AI-powered live auctions as a meaningful evolution of the secondhand market, not just a novelty.
Read more: Business Insider
