Etaily, the Philippines’ digital-native retail platform, has successfully secured a significant strategic investment led by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) through its SMBC Asia Rising fund. The new funding round brings etaily’s total capital raised to over $24 million, earmarking the capital to accelerate its expansion and focus on the burgeoning social commerce landscape across Southeast Asia.
The funding round saw participation from existing investors, including Kaya Founders and JGDEV of the Gokongwei Group, alongside other prominent Asia-based family offices, underscoring strong regional confidence in etaily’s growth trajectory.
etaily, founded in 2020 by Alexander Friedhoff, has rapidly established itself as a commerce powerhouse, enabling global brands like Levi’s, Skechers, Abbott, and L’Oreal to navigate and scale within the complex Southeast Asian market. The platform manages the e-commerce and marketing operations for more than 80 consumer brands. Furthermore, etaily has proven its brand-building capabilities by successfully launching proprietary names such as the Philippines’ fastest-growing pet food brand, Floof Pets, and the supplements line Nutrie. This strong execution has resulted in etaily doubling its gross sales over the past year, riding the wave of the region’s $230 billion retail sector.
The investment follows shortly after the Financial Times recognized etaily as the third fastest-growing company in the entire Asia-Pacific region for 2025, and the fastest in the Philippines—a distinction shared by only two other Filipino peers among 2,000 regional companies.
Focus on Social Commerce and Regional Cluster Expansion
With its headquarters in the Philippines, etaily is now aiming to build a multi-country cluster, focusing on Malaysia, Singapore, and beyond, to simplify market entry and scalability for its partner brands.
A key pillar of this expansion is the recently announced partnership with WPP Media. This collaboration is set to enhance etaily’s retail and media enablement capabilities, merging advanced commerce infrastructure with world-class marketing expertise. The WPP Media alliance is specifically designed to address social commerce needs for clients within the Philippines-Malaysia-Singapore cluster, already onboarding initial lifestyle brands.
“For the last five years, we’ve focused on building etaily into a commerce powerhouse for global brands in Southeast Asia. Now it is time to double down on the latest developments in Social Commerce and Livestreaming,” said Alexander Friedhoff, Founder & CEO of etaily. “With our massive focus on fully controlled livestream studios we will be able to offer asset-light operations, and now strengthened partnerships and investors, we are positioned to lead the next wave of online-first, offline-to-follow retail in our regional cluster.”
The platform, which has processed over 40 million orders across marketplaces like Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, and brand-owned channels, recently launched its proprietary Livestreaming, Affiliates, and Short-term video solutions to capture the accelerating social commerce trend.
Katsufumi Uchida, Head of Asia Pacific Division and Managing Executive Officer of SMBC, emphasized the strategic nature of the investment. “As we celebrate 10 years in the Philippines, SMBC Group remains dedicated to our Asia Multi-Franchise strategy… We are excited to contribute to the expansion of local commerce ecosystems and to connect financial services with the evolving digital marketplace through strategic partnerships such as with etaily.”
This latest funding builds on prior support from a formidable group of investors, including Southeast Asia’s oldest conglomerate, Ayala Corporation, the Gokongwei Group, the Landmark’s Cheng family, and the Po family behind Century Pacific Food Corporation. Its 2023 Series A round was led by Taiwan’s SKS Capital and Singapore’s Pavilion Capital, a private equity firm under Temasek Holdings, with participation from the Magsaysay Family, SBI, ICCP Fund, and Foxmont Capital.
📰 Editorial View: The Next Wave of Retail is Social
The latest funding injection into etaily is a strong affirmation of its model and the immense potential residing in Southeast Asia’s digital retail landscape. This region, expected to hit $230 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) by 2026, is not merely adopting e-commerce; it is pioneering the next evolution: Social Commerce. The Philippines, in particular, stands out, identified as the fastest-growing e-commerce market globally and leading the region in digital adoption, with users spending an average of eight hours daily on mobile devices, according to Bain & Company.
etaily‘s strategy—focusing on end-to-end commerce enablement combined with a dedicated “online-first, offline-to-follow” approach—positions it perfectly to capitalize on this wave. The company is not just a logistics or fulfillment partner; it is a full-stack digital retail powerhouse, offering proprietary solutions for Livestreaming and Affiliate Marketing. This comprehensive approach is crucial for global brands that need a singular, expert partner to manage the complexity of localized marketplaces (Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop) and the high-touch, content-driven demands of social platforms. By securing a strategic investor like SMBC and aligning with a media giant like WPP Media, etaily is not just raising capital; it is solidifying the operational, financial, and marketing foundation required to become the definitive operating system for retail brand growth in Southeast Asia. Its success represents a significant point of pride for the Philippines’ burgeoning digital economy and a vital connector for global brands looking to tap into the region’s 140 million expected new consumers by 2030.
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