District
District is an AI-powered, no-code commerce platform enabling creators, small businesses, and brands to build and operate online stores, multi-seller marketplaces, and live shopping applications via natural-language prompts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What District does
District (legal entity: In Search Of, Inc.) is an AI-powered commerce platform founded in 2022 in San Francisco by three former Snap product leaders. The platform enables creators, small businesses, community operators, and enterprise brands to construct and operate online commerce businesses—including single-seller stores, multi-seller marketplaces, live shopping applications, and auction experiences—through natural-language AI prompts rather than engineering effort. Core technical components comprise an AI App Builder that turns prompts into production-ready commerce sites, a live-shopping engine with simulcast to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, multi-seller marketplace infrastructure with commission monetization, multi-day and live auction tooling, integrated payments (Stripe, PayPal), shipping label and tracking workflows, group-chat communities, and subscription/paywall features. Architecture is no-code on top of a unified platform, packaged in Basic ($29/mo), Pro ($99/mo), and custom Enterprise tiers.
The business model is multi-threaded: subscription fees form a recurring baseline, marketplace commissions on host-earned transactions provide GMV-linked upside, and reduced transaction fees on the Enterprise tier serve as a value-add for higher-paying contracts. Distribution is product-led via self-serve sign-up with free 3-day trials, supplemented by an enterprise direct-sales motion and a strategic advisory relationship with Gary Vaynerchuk. The company employs 51–100 staff across San Francisco headquarters and a Los Angeles general office, and fielded a $14.7M seed round in May 2026 co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Kindred Ventures with Greylock, SV Angel, and 20VC participating. Customer evidence on the platform includes Niknax (vintage, $5M+ in 2025 sales across 5,000 sellers), Stacked Golf (live auctions, $150,000–$175,000 per week), Midwest Box Breaks, Chasing Cardboard, Channel Watts, Makerbook, Overgrown Oasis, and several others across collectibles, fashion, antiques, plants, art, and mechanical keyboards. One source ties District to Eternal Limited as a subsidiary alongside Zomato, Blinkit, and Hyperpure, and attributes Rs 277 crore in revenue to the platform in Q4 FY26; this figure is implausible against District's disclosed funding and headcount and most likely reflects conflation with a separately-branded Indian entity owned by Eternal.
District firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- District
- Legal name
- In Search Of, Inc.
- Website
- https://district.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- District is an AI-powered, no-code commerce platform enabling creators, small businesses, and brands to build and operate online stores, multi-seller marketplaces, and live shopping applications via natural-language prompts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
District industry classification
Industry- Product category
- E-commerce Platform Software
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Neighborhood Communities (BPAMABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Developer Portals, SDKs & Documentation Platforms (BPAMADAG)
Keywords
Where District is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
District business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Fees: Monthly and annual subscription tiers (Basic $29/mo, Pro $99/mo, Enterprise custom) generating recurring revenue from platform access
- Marketplace Commissions: Revenue from commission fees on transactions made through user-hosted marketplaces - hosts earn a percentage of every sale made on their platform
- Transaction Fees: Reduced transaction fees for Enterprise tier customers as a value-add to higher subscription pricing
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic tier at $29/month for entrepreneurs getting started |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro tier at $99/month for communities ready to scale |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise tier with custom pricing for large brands and businesses |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
District product offering
Product offeringCore offering
District is an AI-powered commerce platform that lets anyone create online stores, live shopping apps, multi-seller marketplaces, auctions, and gated communities without coding. Users describe what they want to build in natural language, and the platform produces a production-ready commerce app with built-in payments (Stripe, PayPal), shipping, livestreaming with simulcasting, and community features, targeted at creators, small businesses, and enterprise brands.
Product overview
District is an AI-powered commerce platform that operates as a unified platform with multiple integrated modules. The core platform enables users to build online commerce businesses through natural language prompts without coding expertise. Key products include: Live Shopping for livestream sales and auctions; Marketplaces for hosting multi-seller platforms with commission fees; Online Stores for single-seller branded retail; Auctions supporting both multi-day and real-time bidding; Communities featuring group chat, subscriptions, and moderation tools; and AI App Builder that transforms prompts into production-ready commerce experiences. Supporting features include Built-in Payments (Stripe/PayPal), Built-in Shipping with label printing and tracking, Group Chat channels, Subscriptions for paid community access, and Paywalls for content monetization. The platform launched in 2026 after three years of development and raised $14.7M in seed funding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Shopping Livestream commerce experience with real-time chat, shopping cart overlays, simulcasting to multiple platforms, and product showcases for creators and brands selling via live video.
- Multi-seller Marketplaces Marketplace platform where hosts curate and sell products from multiple third-party sellers and earn a percentage commission on each transaction.
- Online Stores Direct-to-consumer online store builder enabling sellers to launch branded storefronts with product catalogs, checkout, and order management.
- Auctions Auction module supporting multi-day and live auction formats for sellers to run time-based sales of products and collectibles.
- Communities Gated community module with group chat, subscriptions, and paywalls enabling creators to build membership-based audiences around a niche topic or product.
Quantifiable outcome
- Stacked Golf generates $175,000 per week in sales through live auctions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use District
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
District technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability8 records
Feature7 records
District partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Gary VaynerchukcoreSerial entrepreneur and investor Gary Vaynerchuk has entered a strategic partnership with District, serving as an advisor to help the company scale and attract enterprise brands. This partnership leverages Vaynerchuk's expertise in building brands and scaling companies for strategic guidance.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
District competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Whatnot: Whatnot is a live shopping marketplace focused on collectibles, sports cards, sneakers, and vintage — directly overlapping District's strongest customer outcomes (Stacked Golf, Niknax, Midwest Box Breaks). Both monetize via marketplace commissions on live auction sales, making Whatnot the most direct competitive analogue.
- CommentSold: CommentSold is a live-selling and social commerce platform that powers live shopping events for SMB retailers across Facebook, Instagram, and its own storefronts. It overlaps with District's live shopping + marketplace + multi-channel simulcasting stack and serves a similar SMB/creator customer.
- Bambuser: Bambuser is a live video shopping technology provider enabling brands to host shoppable livestreams on their own websites. District's live shopping product, with simulcasting and integrated checkout, competes directly for live commerce budgets with Bambuser's white-label offering.
- BigCommerce: BigCommerce is a headless e-commerce SaaS platform targeting mid-market and enterprise merchants with multi-storefront, B2B, and marketplace functionality. District's Enterprise tier and marketplace positioning compete for the same upmarket commerce platform budgets.
- Livescale: Livescale is an end-to-end live shopping platform with simulcasting, shoppable video, and analytics for brands and retailers. It is comparable to District's live shopping stack on the live commerce experience layer and serves overlapping enterprise and DTC customers.
Broad incumbents
- Shopify: Shopify is the dominant e-commerce platform for SMBs and enterprises, offering stores, payments, shipping, and a marketplace app ecosystem. District competes in the same SMB/creator commerce wedge but at a much earlier stage, with an AI-no-code differentiator versus Shopify's mature app store and merchant base.
- Squarespace: Squarespace provides no-code website building with integrated commerce, subscriptions, and member areas — overlapping with District's online store, subscription, and paywall features. It targets the same creator/SMB segment with a polished design-led brand and broader site-building scope.
- Etsy: Etsy operates a large-scale vintage, handmade, and collectibles marketplace with seller subscriptions and transaction fees — directly comparable to District's marketplace commissions model. District differentiates through live shopping/auctions and no-code AI building, but both target hobbyist sellers in similar categories.
Emerging players
- Gumroad: Gumroad is a creator-economy platform enabling individuals to sell digital products, subscriptions, and memberships with minimal setup. It overlaps with District's subscriptions, paywalls, and creator-monetization features, though Gumroad focuses on digital goods while District emphasizes physical goods, live commerce, and marketplaces.
- Spring (formerly TeeSpring): Spring is a creator-merchandise marketplace enabling creators and brands to design, produce, and sell custom apparel and goods with no upfront cost. Comparable to District's creator/SMB commerce wedge through a marketplace + creator GTM, though narrower in product scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
District social profiles
Digital presenceDistrict financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
District leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
District funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
District M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about District
What does District do?
District is an AI-powered commerce platform that lets anyone create online stores, live shopping apps, multi-seller marketplaces, auctions, and gated communities without coding. Users describe what they want to build in natural language, and the platform produces a production-ready commerce app with built-in payments (Stripe, PayPal), shipping, livestreaming with simulcasting, and community features, targeted at creators, small businesses, and enterprise brands.
Is District a public or private company?
District is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was District founded?
District was founded in 2022. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is District based?
District is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does District make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are marketplace Commissions and transaction Fees.
Who are District's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Whatnot, CommentSold, Bambuser, BigCommerce and Livescale. Broad incumbents are Shopify, Squarespace and Etsy. Emerging players are Gumroad and Spring (formerly TeeSpring).
Does District have an API?
No public API is recorded for District.
What industry is District in?
District's product category is E-commerce Platform Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMABAG, Local & Neighborhood Communities, with a secondary code of BPAMADAG, Developer Portals, SDKs & Documentation Platforms. Its SIC code is 7900.