Marie Kando, the woman who stole millions of Netflix viewers hearts this year with her show, “Tidying Up,” is in talks to raise up to $40 million in venture capital funding to scale KonMari, the business behind her personal brand, books and TV series.
The news was first reported by The Information, which wrote that this wouldn’t be KonMari’s first infusion of venture investment, surprisingly. Last year, the company closed a financing round “in the low millions of dollars” led by top-tier VC fund Sequoia Capital, a detail that hadn’t been previously reported. In an email to TechCrunch, a spokesperson for the business said KonMari isn’t commenting on fundraising at this time.
“Tidying Up with Marie Kando” debuted on Netflix on January 1, 2019 to near-instant success, spurring a wave of internet-fandom for Kando with her catchphrase “does it spark joy?” and efficient method of cleaning and organizing. The KonMari Method encourages cleaners to tidy by category, starting with clothes, then books, papers, miscellaneous items and sentimental items. “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go,” Kando explains on her website.
According to The Information’s reporting, Kando is looking for additional capital to help drive her personal brand forward, whether that be through editorial content or other digital elements. I guess the question for VCs is does KonMari spark joy? (Sorry, I had to).
KonMari was founded in 2015 by Kando and her husband, Takumi Kawahara.