Private equity fund manager Capital D invests in wishlist and social shopping platform GoWish

Capital D has acquired a significant stake in GoWish (also known as Ønskeskyen in Denmark), a social commerce platform.

The transaction secures GoWish both an undisclosed capital increase from Capital D as well as a partial buy-out of existing investors in the ccmpany who are reinvesting in the next chapter of its journey.

Founded in 2015, it has grown its user base to approximately ten million registered users across its platforms worldwide, and has carved a niche for itself in Scandinavia with four million plus registered users in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It says that more than 50% of the Danish population has signed up to its app.

In March 2023, it started its expansion campaign into new geographies, namely Norway, Sweden, the US, the UK and Germany with over two-thirds of total users now situated outside of Denmark. In the US, within a few months of launching in the market, GoWish had registered over 3.7 million users across the country.

GoWish CEO Casper Ravn-Sørensen and Co-founder Mads Dahlerup say: “We’re thrilled to welcome Capital D as a strategic investor in GoWish. We see this as the beginning of a promising partnership to empower the future of social shopping and enable a swiftly growing global audience to create wishlists, share inspiration and buy gifts or goods at the best prices online.”

“GoWish is not only in the business of making dreams come true, but also to make double gifting, unspent gift cards and returns a thing of the past. We see a huge potential for this combined value proposition and thus we believe that this is only the beginning of a global journey.”

Jean-Marc Jabre, Partner and Co-Founder at Capital D, comments: “We are very excited to be partnering with Casper and Mads who have grown GoWish into a best in class wishlist and social shopping platform with a large and rapidly expanding user base in Scandanavia and internationally. We are fully onboard with their impressive ambitions to build the platform globally.”

“The company’s innovative use of AI personalisation and community driven commerce aligns with our belief in backing the winners of the disruption economy. We plan to continue scaling whilst developing GoWish’s rich feature-set and expanding its merchant network.”

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.

Please email our Editor, Scott Thompson, if you have any questions or need further information: scott.thompson@retailtechinnovationhub.com

FAQs

Is there a fee to enter the awards?: No, it is free of charge.

Can I enter across multiple categories: Yes.

Do I need to complete all the sections in the entry form? No, but the more information you provide, the better chance you have of producing a successful submission.

Is there a certain timeframe for nominated projects, initiatives etc? Yes, nominated projects, initiatives etc should have been completed (or substantially completed) during the last 12 months.

Who has visibility of our completed entry form and what information will be public should we win or be shortlisted? Only our Editor, Scott Thompson, and judging panel will view submissions. The information provided in the summary section of the entry form will be made public.

Do you only accept entries from UK-based companies? No, we accept entries from all parts of the world.

What is the shortlists process? Shortlists will be announced in April 2025, then shortlisted entries will be sent to our independent judging panel who will decide upon the winners and highly commended submissions. Shortlisted companies will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July 2o25.

Do winners and highly commended companies receive post-event coverage? Yes, post-event coverage includes articles on our website and also an in-depth awards review in our printed magazine. There is also the opportunity for a company profile type piece to be published on our site and within our magazine.

When is the deadline for 2025 submissions? Friday, 23rd May 2025.

When will the 2025 winners be revealed? Winners will be announced at an event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July. This will kick off with a drinks reception, followed by a three course meal, awards ceremony, and after party featuring DJ until midnight.

Who will be judging submissions? Details of our 2025 judging panel will be announced in the near future.