Former Prime Video executive launches Trendio, a video shopping app aimed at reinventing beauty e-commerce • TechCrunch

Trendio, a new video shopping app co-founded by a former Amazon Prime Video executive, aims to improve the beauty shopping experience. The shopping app allows customers to engage with personalized content and seamlessly purchase beauty products through live and recorded video.

The app is the brainchild of Alex Perez-Tenessa, the former vice president of Prime Video US and head of beauty at CVS, and startup veteran David Olmos. The pair enlisted Amazon Live alum, Julie Novak and former Glossier makeup category manager, Leah Grubb to create a platform that reinvents the future of beauty e-commerce by providing the that are traditionally only found in-store with the efficiency of digital shopping.

“I had the privilege of leading Prime Video and saw a number of new technologies related to content creation,” Perez-Tenessa told TechCrunch in an interview. “I saw changes in the expectations and behaviors of audiences around the world and it made me see that there was an opportunity to leverage all of this technology to solve a problem I had seen when I I was leading beauty at CVS that beauty products are complex, they need to be demonstrated for customers to truly understand their value, and how the digital retail environment has evolved. didn’t make it any easier for both brands and consumers, so I saw an opportunity to leverage video technologies to create a much better way to discover and buy beauty products.

Trendio provides both live and pre-recorded content from creators to help users make informed product and brand decisions. Among Trendio’s growing list of beauty brands are Merit, Philosophy, Fig1, Ursa Major, Nudestix, Kjaer Weis, Joanna Vargas, Coola and Avène.

The app features a TikTok-like feed where you can browse short previews of different products. If you come across a product that interests you, you can tap to watch the full video. You can also watch live video where you can chat with a creator and other viewers about specific products. Users can browse Trendio’s video catalog to see new items or featured brands, as well as designer channels and brand stores. When you find a product you like, you can check it out directly in the app. Trendio then makes a commission on each product sold on the platform.

At launch, Trendio is available in the US on iOS, Android, and Roku. Perez-Tenessa says one of the insights he took from his time at Amazon Prime Video was that consumers were moving towards smart TV, which is why it was so important for Trendio to be available on both mobile and on Roku. Although Trendio is initially only available in the United States, the company plans to launch the app in other countries in the future.

All content on Trendio is currently edited manually, but in the future, the company says content will be automatically edited using AI. Trendio is currently training and building AI models that will be able to ensure that the app presents interesting content for each specific user.

The idea of ​​live video shopping took off in Asia, but it’s still a relatively new and experimental concept in the United States. Perez-Tenessa believes that for the concept to take off in the United States, it needs to be different from the model in Asia.

“I think the expectations for the content that people encounter are very high in the United States,” Perez-Tenessa said. “It must also be a combination of live and recorded content. I think that’s true to some extent in Asia, but it must be even more so in the United States. People just tried to copy the Asian model and cut and paste it in the United States. I don’t think it will work because the relationship to video in the US and Asia has always been different. You need to be there for customers the way they want to consume content. We believe we can provide customers with the quality and experience they expect.

In terms of funding, Trendio closed a $3 million funding round led by Madrona in May. Half of the investment went into product development and building business relationships. The company will use the other half of the investment next year to continue product development and commercialization. Trendio also plans to raise a Series A in 2023.

Although Trendio is getting into the beauty e-commerce space, the company plans to expand beyond this category in the future. Perez-Tenessa says the company has the potential to grow naturally into wellness and accessory e-commerce, and beyond.