Those in the Seattle startup community may remember Jason Goldberg. The former T-Mobile manager and White House aide was one of the more colorful characters in this community and co-founded the online recruiting startup Jobster in 2003, which eventually tanked.
Now, though, Goldberg is making moves with his New York City-based online shopping site, Fab.com. The company just announced another “pivot” — its third in the last three years — that aligns with the company’s goal of seriously competing with Seattle online giant Amazon.com.
Fab started in 2011 as a flash-based sales website for design, but then maneuvered to focus more on consumers and design retail. Sales quickly grew by 500 percent, and Fab went from selling 2,000 products to 15,000 products every day.
But now Fab is relaunching again to continue to be the “World’s No.1 Design Store.”
“So today, we move forward,” Goldberg wrote in a blog post. “Towards a new Fab. A new Fab that helps people find what they love, buy what they love, and love what they love, easier than every before.”
The new Fab includes a website redesign and an acquisition of MassivKonzept, an online customized furniture startup. It represents a new direction for the company, one that’s focused on allowing consumers to design their own products, from household products to fashion items. Fab is also moving into France, as well as opening up its first retail store in Europe.
Fab has raised a good chunk of money over the past few years, including recent reports of a new round at a $1 billion valuation. This follows a $105 million third round funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Menlo Ventures, First Round Capital, Docomo Capital, Mayfield Fund and Atomico, the venture fund of Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström.
Fab could very well challenge Amazon.com — certainly a hefty task, but from the sounds of it, one that Goldberg sees attainable.
Previously on GeekWire: Jason Goldberg reflects on the ups and downs at Jobster and why it missed becoming LinkedIn
