For the special moments when a simple card isn’t enough but spending $50 is too much, Greetabl is the new solution.
Based in St. Louis, Mo., Greetabl is an online gift-giving service that allows customers to create and send personalized greetings at affordable costs. The startup launched in 2013 when founder Joe Fischer combined his financial background with co-founder Zoë Scharf’s background in graphic design. The two have put their heads together to curate a special collection of gifts and give their customers the most desirable online experience possible.
Greetabl’s main focus is to close The Gifting Gap™ and provide a solution for the times that call for giving a meaningful gift without breaking the bank. Founded on the idea that getting a gift is more fun than getting an envelope, Fischer and Scharf have crafted one-of-a-kind greeting cards that fold up into small gift boxes.
Customers can choose from eight different greeting card illustrations and a collection of unique gifts starting at $2. From confetti and candles to Cabernet lollipops and champagne gummy bears, there is a gift for every occasion.
“They’re gifts that we’ve predetermined to be highly effective to send a sentiment,” Scharf said.
Once an illustration has been picked and paired with the perfect gift, customers can then customize their Greetabls with personalized messages and pictures and have it delivered directly to the recipient’s doorstep.
Both givers and receivers of Greetabl gifts are loving the product, and the new company is becoming more and more popular. Greetabl has blossomed from one innovative idea into a successful startup, and investors like the Missouri Technology Corporation have played a significant role in getting it off the ground.
A note from MTC Director Bill Anderson
“Greetabl is such a unique company, and the level of creativity it has demonstrated with its product has been outstanding. Missouri is proud to support innovative new companies like this one, and we are excited to see how Greetabl grows in the future.”
MTC is currently Greetabl’s single largest investor in terms of dollars invested, and the impact has been immediate. Fischer explained that fundraising can be very difficult, and MTC has helped make the process much smoother and faster. “MTC is like a force multiplier for us,” he said.
The investment from MTC gave Greetabl the capital they needed to expand and grow the team. Just three weeks after closing with MTC, they hired a third team member and hope to add at least one to two more this year.
“When we received the investment from MTC, it really allowed the snowball effect to take its place,” Scharf explained.
As far as Missouri as a business location, both Fischer and Scharf agree that it is a great place for technology startups, especially for an e-commerce company like their own. Fischer noted that Greetabl ships all over the country, so St. Louis is a great location because the population center of the U.S. is not very far away.
He added that community support, ability to stretch resources and access to angel stage capital are all very good in Missouri. “We wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he said.
Even in such a short amount of time, Greetabl has had great success. The company was a winner of the TechCrunch Pitch-Off last fall, earning them a small cash prize and tickets to TechCrunch Disrupt in New York. Greetabl was voted among the top 10 at the event on the day they presented.
The future is looking bright for Greetabl, and Fischer and Scharf have several goals in mind for the company. One “big, hairy, audacious goal”, as they like to call it, is to ship 20 million units by the year 2020. While they are taking it one step at a time, they have plans to expand into several new verticals such a gift cards and corporate gifting.
“We want to take it piece by piece, so we get really excited about the potential growth for this company,” Scharf said.
Joe and Zoë are committed to giving their customers the most delightful online experience possible, and together the two have transformed the art of gifting by making it both easy and enjoyable. Thanks to Greetabl, you can now deliver happiness to loved ones any time and any place all without breaking the bank.
