Barooders

Barooders operates as a community-focused online marketplace specializing in pre-owned outdoor sports equipment and apparel. Founded in October 2021 by the husband-and-wife team Edwige Michau and Geoffroy D'Autichamp, the company is headquartered in Annecy, France. The idea for Barooders emerged in April 2021 when the founders, both passionate about mountain sports, struggled to find secondhand mountaineering gear and recognized the market's untapped potential.

The platform facilitates the buying and selling of equipment for a wide array of activities including hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, and trail running. Barooders aims to make outdoor sports more accessible and sustainable by promoting a circular economy. The business model is structured as a B2C retail marketplace, connecting individuals and professional sellers with buyers. To ensure quality and build trust, all listings are verified, and the company offers expert advice to users. For sellers, Barooders provides services such as home collection, consignment, and a fully integrated secondhand service for brands, managing logistics from inspection and photography to storage and shipping.

Since its inception, Barooders has experienced significant growth, reporting a 40% monthly increase in sales within its first year. The company has successfully completed two funding rounds, raising a total of $3.65 million. An initial angel round in early 2022 brought in approximately $1.45 million, followed by a seed round of $2.2 million in September 2022. This later round was led by Kima Ventures and included participation from notable angel investors such as the founders of Veepee and Ankorstore, as well as tennis player Stan Wawrinka. In February 2023, the company launched a mobile application to complement its website. As of May 2023, the platform featured over 60,000 products with discounts ranging from 30% to 80% off new prices. However, according to a PitchBook update, the company entered into bankruptcy liquidation proceedings on July 3, 2024.

Keywords: secondhand outdoor gear, used sports equipment, circular economy, online marketplace, peer-to-peer, consignment, outdoor apparel, mountaineering gear, ski equipment, hiking gear, sustainable sports, e-commerce, sports resale, gear exchange, Kima Ventures, Geoffroy D'Autichamp, Edwige Michau, adventure sports, climbing equipment, technical apparel