Crafty DIY startup Brit + Co raises $6.3M

The company brings in a roster of impressive investors

I went to a baby shower last weekend that was so damn cute I just about threw up my mimosa. There were cute little blue striped straws, and matching toothpick flags stuck in cupcakes, and matching napkins and plates and flower arrangements… Just—all of it, man. All of it.

Making parties look that cute is hard, but the latest DIY Brit Kit from Brit + Co comes with all the doodads and whatchamuts needed to dress up an adorable summer party. And the company just announced that it has raised $6.3 million in a Series A round led by Oak Investment Partners, with help from Index Ventures, Lerer Ventures, and Cowboy Ventures, as well as previous angel investors Marissa Mayer (yes, that one) and Aileen Lee, who is also a KPCB partner.

The crafty site is part of a growing trend at the intersection of tech and DIY. Founded in late 2011, the media/commerce site curates fun ideas for projects, crafts, recipes, style, and more. Example: “100 Things You Can Serve on a Stick.” Have you ever heard of Poptart Pops? O.M.G.

In addition to media, the site also offers a monthly DIY kit that users can subscribe to for $19.99 a month.

Morin says Brit + Co has grown 11x since this time last year, with half of its users visiting once a week and 20% of users visiting daily.

"This round will help us build up key components of our business that drive our mission forward—to inspire and enable the world to live creatively," said CEO Brit Morin in an email. "We'll focus on broadening the Brit + Co. community, expanding our content (we recently launched Brit Picks and hired an editorial director) and bringing more kits, products, and supplies to Brit + Co.’s Shop."

The company is also hiring designers and engineers. 

The “maker movement” is picking up steam. Of course, there’s Etsy, which has essentially taken over the e-commerce world as the marketplace for finding unique, one-of-a-kind goods. And earlier this year, Moonfrye raised $2.5 million for its content and commerce site for crafters and DIYers.

"Brit + Co. is creating a compelling business model that combines content and commerce with community, driving engagement both online and off," said Fred Harman, Managing Partner for Oak Investment Partners, in a statement. "In just 18 months, Brit has built impressive momentum with Millennials, and we believe the company has real potential to become a leading brand and destination in the growing do-it-yourself category."

The company plans to use the new capital to fuel growth, expand its community, and ramp up content and commerce in the site’s shop.

Brit + Co’s investors pack some punch and bring a lot of weight to the young startup. Harman has driven a number of investments in large media companies for Oak, including the Huffington Post, Thrillist, and the Bleacher Report.

Harman will be joining Brit + Co’s board of directors, along with previous angel investor Tina Sharkey, who co-founded iVillage and was Chairman and Global President of BabyCenter.