Twice

High-Level Overview

Twice was a San Francisco-based e-commerce technology company that operated an online marketplace for buying and selling secondhand apparel, making the process of selling used clothing as seamless as shopping new.[1] The platform handled pricing, shipping, merchandising, and quality vetting to ensure items met "like new" standards, serving both individual sellers and buyers of men's and women's clothing, shoes, and handbags from popular brands; it grew to over one million users before being acquired by eBay in 2015 and subsequently shut down later that year.[1]

Origin Story

Twice was founded in 2012 by Noah Ready-Campbell (CEO) and Calvin Young (CTO), both of whom started their careers at Google and participated in Y Combinator.[1] Noah graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a dual degree in management and technology, while Calvin earned a dual degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[1] The company launched with women's clothing, expanded to women's shoes and handbags in October 2014, and entered menswear in January 2015, achieving rapid user growth backed by $23.1 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, SV Angel, and IA Ventures.[1]

Core Differentiators

• End-to-End Selling Management: Twice simplified secondhand sales by managing pricing, shipping, merchandising, and quality checks, removing friction for users compared to traditional platforms.[1]
• Quality Assurance: Every item was vetted to "like new" standards, building trust and differentiating from peer-to-peer marketplaces reliant on seller photos and descriptions.[1]
• Brand and Category Focus: Targeted popular retail brands for apparel, shoes, and handbags, appealing to shoppers seeking high-quality used fashion without the hassle.[1]
• Rapid Expansion and Backing: Scaled quickly via Y Combinator acceleration and top-tier VC funding, reaching over one million users pre-acquisition.[1]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Twice rode the early wave of the circular economy and secondhand e-commerce boom, capitalizing on rising consumer demand for sustainable fashion amid growing awareness of fast fashion's environmental impact.[1] Its timing aligned with the mid-2010s marketplace explosion (e.g., post-Poshmark, pre-Depop dominance), where tech enabled vetted resale to mimic new retail experiences, influencing platforms like ThredUp and eBay's later refurbished goods push.[1] By proving scalable logistics for used apparel, Twice contributed to normalizing high-quality resale tech, paving the way for today's $200B+ global secondhand market projected to grow amid economic pressures and sustainability trends.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Post-2015 eBay acquisition and shutdown, Twice's model lives on through integrated resale features on major platforms, underscoring its lasting influence on vetted secondhand tech.[1] Looking ahead, expect its playbook—AI-driven pricing, automated vetting, and seamless UX—to shape AI-enhanced resale giants amid a projected doubling of the resale market by 2030, driven by Gen Z preferences and supply chain shifts. Twice exemplified how tech startups can disrupt retail norms, proving acquisition value in scaling consumer marketplaces.