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In recent years, the fitness industry has witnessed a surge in live video auction apps, seamlessly merging real-time streaming with e-commerce. These innovative platforms empower sellers to auction products via live or recorded video to engaged audiences on mobile devices. In this article, we'll delve into some of the most prominent players in the space – Whatnot, Palmstreet, Tilt, CommentSold, Encore, and DripShop – exploring their origins, funding, target markets, and popular categories.
Whatnot
Whatnot is a U.S.-based livestream shopping marketplace founded by Grant LaFontaine and Logan Head in 2019. Initially catering to collectors, the app has since expanded into a wide array of categories, including vintage fashion, electronics, toys, and even live plants. With substantial venture funding backing its growth, Whatnot has raised roughly $746 million and reached a valuation of nearly $5 billion after its latest round. This capital has fueled explosive growth – the company reported 20× year-over-year sales growth in 2021, followed by 3× growth in the first half of 2022, and its annual gross merchandise value (GMV) surpassed $3 billion by 2026.
Whatnot sets itself apart with high-energy live auctions featuring features like "sudden death" bidding (no bid extensions) and flash sales that create urgency via countdown timers. Its platform is designed for collectors and hobbyists and remains strongest in categories like sports cards, fashion, and home décor. With a user base spanning the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Whatnot has become one of the flagship apps of the live selling trend.
Palmstreet
Palmstreet, based in San Francisco, launched in 2020 with a decidedly niche start – live auctions of rare and exotic plants. Co-founded by former Instagram engineer Chen Li, the platform soon blossomed beyond houseplants into a broader creative marketplace for rarities and artisanal goods. By 2021–2022, Palmstreet's vibrant community expanded to include handmade crafts, crystals, boutique home décor, reptiles, and more, attracting an eclectic mix of artisans and collectors.
Palmstreet emphasizes personal connections and storytelling, fostering a nostalgic "Main Street shop" atmosphere in a digital medium. The company has drawn 1+ million members as of 2026, reflecting strong word-of-mouth among hobbyist buyers and sellers. Notably, many sellers on Palmstreet are small entrepreneurs who have seen their revenues triple via live selling and even transitioned to doing it full-time.
Tilt
Tilt is a live shopping startup that originated in the UK and gained rapid traction in the fashion resale and streetwear space. Launched in 2022 (after a $3M seed in 2021) by ex-Fintech entrepreneurs Neil Shah and Abhi Thanendran, Tilt set out to make online shopping feel less static and impersonal. The app enables real-time interactive auctions and flash deals, where buyers join live video streams from sellers (often emerging fashion brands or resellers) and can chat and bid on apparel in a high-energy setting.
Uniquely, deals and offers on Tilt are only available while you're actively watching the stream, mimicking the urgency of in-store drops. In its first year, Tilt amassed over 500,000 users, a sign that its gamified approach to apparel shopping struck a chord in the UK market. The company closed an $18 million Series A round in 2024 led by Balderton Capital to continue its growth.
CommentSold
CommentSold is a pioneer of live selling technology in North America, tracing its roots back to 2017. It was founded by Brandon Kruse in Huntsville, Alabama, initially as a solution to help his wife sell boutique clothing on Facebook Live more efficiently. The name comes from its early method: shoppers could comment "Sold" on a live video or post to instantly purchase an item.
From that simple tool, CommentSold evolved into a comprehensive SaaS platform for small businesses to run live and social media sales. It remained largely bootstrapped until 2021, when private equity firm Permira made a significant investment (acquiring a minority stake)