Fundraising Fox

Flip

YC W15

Los Angeles, US · Founded 2014 · 8 known investors

Flip operates a mobile marketplace where users buy and sell rare and limited-edition sneakers from verified sellers, with transactions completed within 90 minutes.

Also known as FLIP

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerMarketplacesMarketplaceUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W15)

Flip was founded in 2014 by Kemar Newell.

KNKemar Newell
Kemar NewellinFounder/CEOKemar Newell holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Morehouse College and has experience in the marketing and advertising industry, with technical skills including distributed systems, Ruby, Python, and Java. He is the Founder and CEO of Flip, a mobile marketplace for buying and selling rare and limited-edition sneakers from verified sellers.

Investors · 8

Base Venture Management, Inc.Oakland · $100K – $700K
Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K
Bullpen CapitalreportedSan Francisco · $2M – $4M
Data Point CapitalreportedBoston
Forum VenturesreportedNew York · $50K – $100K
Next Coast VenturesreportedAustin · $2M – $4M
Ridge VenturesreportedSan Francisco · $2M – $7M
ScOp Venture CapitalreportedSanta Barbara · $500K – $4M

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

$20M disclosed across 1 of 3 rounds · 2025–2026

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Company profile

researched Aug 2026

Flip operates a mobile-first marketplace for hard-to-find, rare and limited-edition sneakers, positioning itself as a specialty destination where members can both buy and sell. Listings run as fast auctions: buyers receive instant notifications for sneakers they are tracking and set their own price through bidding, with approved items intended to sell within a 90-minute window. Sellers are drawn from a curated list, and the company states that every approved item is guaranteed to sell or Flip buys it.

Payments are handled inside the Flip app, with the seller paid after confirmation of the transaction. The service is available only in the United States and is offered through iOS and Android applications. The company describes its aim as maintaining an open and trusted community environment for members transacting in the resale sneaker category.

Founding story

Flip was founded in 2014 by Kemar Newell, who serves as Founder and CEO, and participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2015 batch.

Business model

Flip runs a two-sided consumer marketplace connecting sneaker buyers with curated sellers, intermediating auctions and handling payment flows within its own app; the seller is paid after the transaction is confirmed.

▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history

Market position

Flip describes itself as a specialty destination for rare and limited-edition sneakers, differentiating on speed of sale and a curated, verified seller community.

The company emphasises a 90-minute sale window with a sell-through guarantee (Flip buys approved items that do not sell), buyer-set pricing via auctions, curated sellers, and instant notifications for sought-after releases.

Technology

Flip is a mobile-only platform delivered through iOS and Android apps, with auction listings, instant push notifications for tracked sneaker models, in-app bidding and in-app payment processing.

Go-to-market

Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the Apple App Store and Android, with the website prompting visitors to receive a download link by phone number; the service is limited to the United States.

U.S. consumers seeking to buy or sell popular, rare and limited-edition sneakers, alongside sellers who list inventory on the platform.

Geography

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with the marketplace available only in the U.S.

History

Founded in 2014 in Los Angeles, Flip went through the Y Combinator Winter 2015 accelerator batch. Its marketplace launched as an iPhone-only product and was later extended to Android.

Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.

Competitors · 6

by search overlap
StockX28 shared keywordsDetroit-based online resale marketplace using a bid/ask model and authentication for sneakers, streetwear, watches and electronics.
Whop26 shared keywordsWhop provides APIs and embedded components for developers to integrate checkout and payment functionality into their applications without building complex infrastructure from scratch.
Grubwithus22 shared keywordsGOAT is an online marketplace for buying and selling sneakers, apparel, and collectibles from brands like Nike, adidas, and Air Jordan.
Highsnobsociety exit20 shared keywordsReproduction of Found is a Tokyo-based footwear label that sources and reproduces vintage military shoes and trainers using European factories that originally manufactured them in the mid-20th century. The brand distributes roughly 30 shoe models globally through approximately 150 stockists and collaborates with fashion labels on limited editions.
Omnisend15 shared keywordsOmnisend is a marketing automation platform that provides email, SMS, and push notification campaigns for ecommerce brands. It offers features including AI-powered copy generation, workflow automation, audience segmentation, and integrations with other marketing tools.
Complex15 shared keywordsComplex is a media brand publishing editorial content and rankings across music, sneakers, sports betting, and pop culture, and produces ComplexCon, a live culture and lifestyle event. It serves a general consumer audience interested in youth culture and streetwear.

Companies competing with Flip for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

Timeline · 2

launches, deals, and filings
Jan 2015
Participated in Y Combinator Winter 2015 batch

Flip was part of Y Combinator's Winter 2015 accelerator batch, listed under the Marketplace category and based in Los Angeles.

source ↗

Jan 2015
Android app expansion announced

Flip, initially a mobile-only platform available on iPhone, indicated Android availability was coming; the company website subsequently offered a Flip download for Android.

source ↗

Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.

In the news

Flip Raises $20M in Series A Fundingfinsmes.com · Jan 2026Flip Raises $20M Series A as Vertical Voice AI Moves Into the Enterprise Core – Unite.AIunite.ai · Jan 2026Exclusive: Flip Raises $20M Series A For Its Verticalized Approach To AI-Based Customer Servicenews.crunchbase.com · Jan 2026Flip Hits 300M Automated Call Milestone, Raises $20M to Scale Enterprise Vertical AIbusinesswire.com · Jan 2026Flip Raises $28M in Series A Extensionfinsmes.com · May 2025NFT aggregator Flip raises $6.5 million in seed funding | The Blocktheblock.co · Jan 2022

▸Research sources · 8

primary sources listed

8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

What does Flip do?
Flip is a Los Angeles mobile marketplace for buying and selling rare and limited-edition sneakers.
Who founded Flip?
Flip was founded by Kemar Newell in 2014.
Who are Flip's investors?
Flip's investors include Base Venture Management, Inc., Y Combinator, Bullpen Capital, Data Point Capital, Forum Ventures, Next Coast Ventures, Ridge Ventures, ScOp Venture Capital.
How much funding has Flip raised?
Flip has disclosed $20M raised across 1 of its 3 known rounds.
Where is Flip headquartered?
Flip is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.