SevenVentures, the TV media investment arm of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, has made a eight-figure media-for-equity investment in Aachen-based navabi, a leading online retailer for plus-size fashion.
In 2018, online retail revenue for clothes and shoes in Germany totaled €16.8 billion, an 8% increase over 2017. The largest market segment is women’s clothing, and the plus-size market is experiencing prolonged growth and consistent demand.
Navabi is using the investment to grow the audience for its in-house produced commercials. The startup’s TV spots emphasize authenticity: the stars of the commercials are navabi customers who were selected from 3,000 applicants to tell their personal stories to the camera about how fashion changes their lives every day.
“With this media-for-equity deal we can generate a huge TV presence and massively expand brand awareness,” said Bahman Nedaei, co-founder of navabi. “Thanks to the cooperation with SevenVentures and the broadcast of our TV commercials we can reach millions of households in Germany and show curvy women all over the country that there is great fashion for them.”
This year, navabi is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Founders Zahir Dehnadi and Bahman Nedaei have run the plus-size pioneer from Germany since 2009, with offices in Aachen and London. In addition to over 150 labels available on its platform such as Marina Rinaldi Sport and Levi’s, navabi has also established its own labels that are experiencing rapid growth and already account for one third of sales.
“We are delighted that with this deal we are investing in a growing market,” said Dr. Jens Pippig, Managing Director of SevenVentures. “Navabi has incredible know-how in the field of plus-size fashions. We are convinced that together we will continue to promote navabi’s growth in this market segment and establish navabi as a synonym for plus size.”
