Moderato raises ¥405M Series B to take DTC apparel brand SOÉJU offline
What's the deal? ModeratoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the Tokyo startup behind direct-to-consumer apparel brand SOÉJU, has raised ¥405 million ($2.5 million) in a Series B round.
Textile firm Stylem Takisada-Osaka led the round. It was joined by existing backers SuzuyoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Pola OrbisDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Holdings, plus new investors WPower Fund I, Yokohama Growth No.1 and 77 Capital No.3.
The money will fund offline store expansion and brand portfolio growth.
Why now? SOÉJU has grown its customer base to more than 200,000 since launch, and Moderato wants to convert that online momentum into physical touchpoints.
The startup plans a mix of flagship stores, fitting-only outlets, small shops and pop-ups across Japan. It is now actively recruiting commercial property and developer partners.
Founded in 2014 by chief executive officer Asuka Ichihara, Moderato targets busy working women with quality, long-wearing clothing under the concept "FUNCTIONAL LUXURY."
What could go wrong? Opening physical stores is capital-intensive and exposes the brand to fixed costs that pure e-commerce avoids.
The expansion also depends on securing the right locations through partners it has yet to lock in.
The signal: Pola Orbis, here as a corporate backer, has now invested three times since 2018, when SOÉJU sold just three products and had no e-commerce site — a vote of confidence as Moderato pivots from pure online retail towards physical stores.
Image credit: Moderato
