DTC Startup Kasual raises seed funding from East Ventures, pioneering instant commerce in Indonesia

Kasual, Indonesia’s first-mover in fully personalized direct to consumer (DTC) instant commerce for daywear with a current focus on men’s pants, announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from East Ventures, with participation from other investors. The fresh capital will be used to strengthen the Kasual team, advance its technology and manufacturing capability for better user online experience, and expand its operational expansion to Solo, Central Java.

Kasual was founded by ex-Xendit Business Development team Alam Akbar in 2017, when he found some problems in the Indonesian fashion landscape. The sector is less accommodating and less customizable to the customer’s own preferences, especially when it comes to sizing. In addition to that, going to tailor shops amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is not only a huge inconvenience, it is also very risky–not to mention that it is also expensive. Fast fashion retailers might actually check a few boxes, but oftentimes they are limited to certain styles and only available offline at selected malls.

“We also realized that the e-commerce trend has been mushrooming rapidly and has been helping customers shop comfortably at home, thus making them demand for faster and more reliable commerce for day-to-day needs, specifically for pants. Yet, currently local brands’ approach still overlooks technology, which can actually be a vital aspect in the fashion production process. That means customers still do not have a reliable platform to get personalized fashion products instantly,” said Alam, CEO and Co-Founder of Kasual.

Kasual offers in-app manufacturing solutions for customers to order personalized men’s pants — Build Your Own Product (BYOP). Customers can pick their preferred fittings, type of cuttings and tailored sizings. The platform also enables ‘Virtual Fitting’ where customers can consult directly to the Kasual expert team via video call in regards of size measurement, personalized fitting, and product recommendation. With a simpler order process and Kasual’s in-house garment manufacturing, the products can be delivered to the customers’ doorstep in less than 5 days. Its personalization and technological approach make Kasual the first fashion-tech and instant commerce in Indonesia.

Kasual is a digital-native vertical brand (DNVB) with 30 core team members and 25 individual partners in the garment team. The members bring in their experiences in e-commerce and fashion industries from various leading global companies, such as  Amazon, Ebay, Deloitte, Yum! Brands, Blibli, VIP Plaza, and Ralph Lauren. Kasual team is committed to always improving their services and developing their creativity with an ambition of taking its local brand “From Indonesia, to the World!”.

With a market size of US$ 12 billion, Kasual has been at the forefront of driving innovation in Indonesia’s fashion and apparel industry. The company has experienced robust growth of 3x amidst the first COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 compared to 2019 (YoY). To date, Kasual has over 80,000 users and are able to deliver over 3,000 pieces of personalized products to their customers monthly.

​​“We are happy to welcome East Ventures and other investors in the Kasual family. With this fund, we are going to build new teams, advance user digital experience, scale up the manufacturing process, release more product categories and marketing initiatives, and leverage new technology such as AR size measurement to create Indonesia’s first 3D body measurement. We aim to scale and process their daily orders in 10x growth and process more than 5,000 items per day in the near future,” explained Alam.

Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of East Ventures, said, “Indonesia has one of the most robust digital infrastructure in the region that enables small customized good companies like Kasual to flourish. We would like to see how far they could go and support them along the way.”

The 3D body measurement will be introduced in Kasual’s annual event Custom Week 2021 that will be held on 17-19 December 2021 in Jakarta. Using an electronic body scanner, visitors can experience an accurate instant custom-fit experience for customer menswear. Despite that, visitors can also join a mini talkshow to get knowledge Kasual Pants Fabrics and product recommendation. Kasual pants have been proudly worn and promoted by notable figures including Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno.