Last Zola valuation
$600M
Series D · May 2018
Last Zola funding round
$100M
Series D · Apr 2019
Cumulative funding Zola raised
$241M
across 6 funding rounds
Key investors in Zola
Thrive Capital
Canvas Prime
Lightspeed Venture Partners
BBG Ventures
Female Founders Fund
Goldman Sachs
About Zola
Zola is a wedding planning platform that combines registry services, website builders, and vendor marketplaces. New York-headquartered since 2013, it equips couples with tools for invitations, guest lists, and photo sharing alongside cash funds for honeymoons and home goods. Zola partners with retailers like Crate & Barrel and West Elm to facilitate purchases from over 1,000 brands.
Founded
2013
HQ
New York City, NYWebsite
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2C
Revenue model
Commission, Subscription
Valuation
$600M (May 2018)
Zola Valuation
Zola is currently valued at $600M, based on its Series D in May 2018.
The $100M round was led by Comcast Ventures, Goldman Sachs and NBCUniversal, with participation from BBG Ventures, SoGal Ventures, Balyasny Asset Management, Lightspeed Venture Partners, BAM Elevate and 4 other investors.
Zola's valuation has grown 3.0x from $200M at its Series C in November 2016 to $600M in May 2018, across 2 priced rounds.
Zola valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| May 2018 | Series D | $600M |
| Nov 2016 | Series C | $200M |
Zola Funding History
Zola has raised a total of $241M across 6 funding rounds.
Zola's first fundraising round was a $3M Series A in November 2013. The most recent completed round was a $100M Series D in April 2019.
Zola funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2019 | Series D | Convivialite Ventures; TCG; Legendary Ventures | $100M | - | - |
| May 2018 | Series D | Comcast Ventures (lead); Goldman Sachs (lead); NBCUniversal (lead); BBG Ventures; SoGal Ventures; Balyasny Asset Management; Lightspeed Venture Partners; BAM Elevate; Female Founders Fund; BAM Ventures; Canvas Prime; Thrive Capital | $100M | $600M | Zola is a wedding planning platform and marketplace founded in 2013 by former Gilt Groupe executives that serves engaged couples with integrated tools including registries, website builders, guest list managers, customizable checklists, and access to over 600 wedding brands. The company operates as an e-commerce platform where couples can register for gifts, experiences, and cash funds, generating revenue through sales commissions. In May 2018, Zola closed a $100 million Series D financing round led by existing investor Comcast Ventures, with new major investors NBCUniversal and Goldman Sachs Investment Partners joining alongside existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Canvas Ventures, Thrive Capital, BBG Ventures, and Female Founders Fund. Additional new investors included Balyasny Asset Management, Founders Circle, GingerBread Capital, and Jerry Yang. The round valued Zola at approximately $600 million post-money, bringing total capital raised to over $140 million. At the time of the Series D, Zola had demonstrated explosive growth metrics: the company doubled its headcount over the prior year, added over 300 brands to its registry service, and had served more than 500,000 couples through its platform. The company operated with roughly 110 employees and had expanded its product offering in April 2017 to include a comprehensive suite of free wedding planning tools designed to serve couples from engagement through their newlywed years. Zola's investors highlighted the company's capital-efficient business model, rapid growth trajectory, and strong ability to capture millennial couples' attention in the $100 billion U.S. wedding industry. The funding was allocated toward cross-device product development, proprietary platform technology, product and technology team expansion, and brand awareness initiatives to establish Zola as the go-to destination for couples planning weddings. |
| Nov 2016 | Series C | Lightspeed Venture Partners (lead); Canvas Prime | $25M | $200M | Zola is an online wedding registry platform founded in 2013 by Gilt founder Kevin Ryan, allowing couples to select products from various brands, set up cash funds, import items from other sites, control product delivery timing, and convert gifts into store credit. The company simplifies wedding gifting by enabling direct shipping to couples, avoiding traditional store hassles. Zola positions itself as a smarter alternative to traditional registries, integrating with brands and offering flexible options like virtual exchanges. On November 22, 2016, Zola signed term sheets for a $25 million Series C funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with Canvas Ventures among prior investors; sources indicate a pre-funding valuation of $200 million. Prior to this round, Zola had raised $15.85 million from investors including Thrive Capital, Canvas Ventures, Female Founders Fund, and BBG Ventures. |
| Nov 2015 | Series B | Canvas Prime (lead); BBG Ventures; Forerunner; Female Founders Fund; Thrive Capital | $10M | - | - |
| Oct 2014 | Series A | - | $3M | - | Zola raised $2.6 million in a Series A funding round on October 20, 2014. The wedding registry platform, founded by former Gilt Group colleagues, offers couples an extensive inventory of over 1,000 products including kitchen tools, bed linens, furniture, and unique experiences like cooking classes or cash funds for homes and cars. Investors in Zola's early rounds included Thrive Capital, which participated in the November 2013 Series A of $3.25 million and subsequent rounds. The company progressed to a $10 million Series B in November 2015 led by Canvas Venture Fund with BBG Ventures, Female Founders Fund, Forerunner Ventures, and Thrive Capital, followed by a $25 million Series C in November 2016 backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners. |
| Nov 2013 | Series A | Thrive Capital (lead) | $3M | - | Zola is a wedding registry startup founded by former Gilt employees Shan-Lyn Ma and Nobu Nakaguchi, along with Gilt founder Kevin Ryan. The company raised $3.25 million in Series A funding on November 5, 2013, led by Thrive Capital, with participation from Ryan. Thrive Capital's Joshua Kushner joined Zola’s board of directors. Zola offers a customizable wedding registry that combines content, inspiration sharing like Pinterest, and a wish list, allowing couples to design personalized homepages with photos and stories. Users can register for about 1,000 items on the site, plus non-traditional items like cooking classes, gift certificates, bicycles, and massages. |
Who has invested in Zola?
16 investors have backed Zola across its funding rounds, including Thrive Capital, Canvas Prime, Lightspeed Venture Partners, BBG Ventures, Female Founders Fund and Goldman Sachs.
Lead investors include Comcast Ventures, Goldman Sachs, NBCUniversal, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Canvas Prime and 1 other investor.
Zola Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 3 | Lead | Nov 2015 | |
| New York City, NY | 3 | Lead | Nov 2013 | |
| New York City, NY | 2 | Participant | Nov 2015 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 2 | Lead | Nov 2016 | |
| New York City, NY | 2 | Participant | Nov 2015 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 1 | Participant | Apr 2019 | |
| New York City, NY | 1 | Participant | May 2018 | |
| Chicago, IL | 1 | Participant | May 2018 | |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1 | Participant | Apr 2019 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 1 | Lead | May 2018 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 1 | Participant | Nov 2015 | |
| New York City, NY | 1 | Lead | May 2018 | |
| New York City, NY | 1 | Participant | May 2018 | |
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Start Free TrialZola Competitors
Zola competitors include listed companies like Vtex and Auction Technology Group, and private ones like Shogun, Contentstack, Postscript and ADA.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brazil | Publicly listed | $241M | $22M | $603M | 1.7x | |
| Los Angeles, CA | Private | - | - | $575M | - | |
| Austin, TX | Private | - | - | $574M | - | |
| Phoenix, AZ | Private | $39M | - | $636M | 16.3x | |
 Kuala Lumpur | Private | $72M | $1M | $550M | - | |
 United Kingdom | Publicly listed | $190M | ($93M) | $710M | 3.5x |
Zola Public Comps
Zola is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Vtex, Maoyan Entertainment, Fiera Milano, THG, Ollamani, Auction Technology Group, Locaweb, Beijing Jingxi, Funshine Culture Group and Riskified.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $241M | $22M | 1.8x | 1.7x | 19.2x | 10.5x | |||
| $691M | $124M | 0.1x | 0.1x | 0.7x | 1.0x | |||
| $437M | $150M | 1.9x | 1.8x | 5.5x | 6.2x | |||
| $2.3B | $133M | 0.5x | 0.5x | 9.2x | 9.7x | |||
| $378M | $39M | 2.1x | 1.9x | 20.5x | 11.3x | |||
| $190M | ($93M) | 4.6x | 3.5x | (9.3x) | 10.1x | |||
| $289M | ($31M) | 1.4x | 1.3x | (12.8x) | 5.4x | |||
| $50M | ($43M) | 9.0x | - | (10.3x) | - | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Zola competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Zola
| When was Zola founded? | Zola was founded in 2013. |
| Where is Zola headquartered? | Zola is headquartered in New York City, NY, United States. |
| Is Zola publicly listed? | No, Zola is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is Zola's valuation? | Zola was last valued at $600M in its Series D in May 2018. |
| How much funding has Zola raised? | Zola has raised $241M across 6 funding rounds. |
| What was Zola's last funding round? | Zola's last funding round was a $100M Series D in April 2019. |
| Who are Zola's investors? | Zola's investors include Canvas Prime, Thrive Capital, BBG Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Female Founders Fund, Convivialite Ventures, SoGal Ventures, Balyasny Asset Management, TCG, Comcast Ventures and 6 others. |
| Which companies are comparable to Zola? | Companies comparable to Zola include Vtex, Shogun, Contentstack, Postscript, ADA and Auction Technology Group. |
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