TNB Tech Minute: Shopping Marketplace Whatnot Nearly Doubles Valuation in Less Than a Year

The live shopping marketplace Whatnot has nearly doubled its valuation in less than a year, reaching $20 billion after a $545 million funding round. That figure now places the app above established retailers like Best Buy, Lululemon, and Wayfair. The platform, which hosts real-time video auctions for goods ranging from sports cards to plants, reported that its gross merchandise volume in just the first half of 2026 already exceeded the $8 billion it recorded for all of last year. The number of buyers on the platform has more than doubled over the past twelve months.

Whatnot’s Surging Valuation and Growth

Whatnot, based in Los Angeles, operates a live shopping marketplace where sellers auction items in real-time via video, and the company takes a cut of each sale. The new $20 billion valuation represents a dramatic jump from its October valuation of roughly $10 billion. The company’s rapid growth is reflected in its transaction volume: the $8 billion in gross merchandise value for all of last year was surpassed in just the first six months of this year. The platform has also seen its buyer base more than double over the past year, a sign that its model of interactive, time-limited auctions is gaining traction with consumers. The funding round raised $545 million, though the transcript does not specify which investors participated.