Today's featured climate startup is LiquiDonate. They are transforming the way businesses handle returns and surplus inventory by matching them with 501c3 organizations across all 50 states.

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LiquiDonate Fast Facts

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Product

LiquiDonate is revolutionizing how businesses manage returns and surplus inventory with its proprietary software, seamlessly connecting companies with 501(c)(3) organizations across all 50 states. By eliminating warehouse backlog and preventing future build-up, LiquiDonate is setting a new benchmark in inventory management while making a meaningful impact in communities nationwide.

Driven by a mission to accelerate the shift toward a circular economy, LiquiDonate is transforming the retail industry through technology, reducing waste and fostering sustainable practices. Their vision is to become the standard for inventory management, merging innovation with social good to create lasting change.

Funding

LiquiDonate has raised $6,090,000.

Founders

Founder and CEO: Disney Petit

• Employee 15 at Postmates leading product management and BD

• Signed the first 500 merchants to Postmates

• Founded Postmate’s social impact program including the Time Magazine Invention of the Year award-winning product, Bento

• BA in Organizational Communication from Rollins College

• MBA focused on Sustainable Social Impact from Saybrook University

• A Fast Company Impact Council member and on the board of the nonprofit, A Meal With Dignity

Market Opportunity

LiquiDonate stands out in the market with a first-mover advantage as the only technology company using sustainability-driven software to donate excess inventory to nonprofits, including hard-to-move categories like large furniture, which many competitors overlook. Unlike liquidators, resellers, and return management platforms that typically lack donation options and restrict item categories, LiquiDonate is built around sustainability and charitable giving.

Their innovative approach includes collaborating with competitors by developing API integrations that enable them to incorporate donation features into their systems. This broadens their impact while enhancing their services, creating a more efficient and inclusive system for managing excess inventory and returns.

By focusing on sustainability, expanding product category acceptance, and forming strategic partnerships, LiquiDonate leads the market, delivering unmatched value to retailers and nonprofits alike.

Traction

• Latest seed round was led by Laconia Capital Group with participation from Uncork Capital, Kapor Capital, Ganas Ventures, Maccabee Ventures, Graham and Walker, Gaingels, and more

• Member of Cohort 14 of Blue Startups

• The Leading 100 in 2023

• The Leading 100 in 2024

• Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards

Why Now?

LiquiDonate tackles the $1.34 trillion problem of excess goods in the retail sector, which often leads to costly warehousing or landfilling. Retailers face rising storage expenses, while nonprofits collectively spend nearly $1 billion annually on essential items. Traditionally, retailers discard surplus inventory, and nonprofits receive donations they can't use.

Returns are a significant contributor, costing retailers $817 billion annually, with around 80% ending up in landfills. The average return costs a retailer $32 due to shipping, processing, and disposal. However, with LiquiDonate, after factoring in tax benefits, some retailers can reduce the cost of a return to under $1.

LiquiDonate steps in by efficiently matching these returns and excess inventory with 501(c)(3) organizations across all 50 states, providing a financially smart and sustainable solution for retailers and nonprofits alike.

Climate Impact

LiquiDonate is driving meaningful change toward a more sustainable and equitable world. Their solution addresses the inefficient logistics that lead to excess emissions from wasteful landfilling and transportation, both of which contribute to climate change. By using LiquiDonate, retailers can reduce their climate footprint—cutting Scope 1 emissions through onsite waste diversion and addressing Scope 3 emissions by redistributing returned inventory.

By extending the lifespan of goods, they not only reduce waste but also empower local communities. As they grow their network of nonprofit partners and increase inventory donations, their impact deepens. More waste is diverted from landfills, product life cycles are extended, and the distance returned goods travel is minimized—moving them to recipients in need instead of far-off warehouses.

Support LiquiDonate

Request an intro if you can support LiquiDonate in any of the areas below.

• Hiring a Founding Enterprise Account Executive

• Introductions to brands and retailers who have any and all excess inventory or unsellable returns to donate. No volume is too big or too small!

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SEE YOU NEXT WEEK 👋

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