Marie Kondo, the woman who stole millions of Netflix viewers hearts this year with her show, “Tidying Up,” is in talks to raise up to $40 million in venture capital funding to scale KonMari, the business behind her personal brand, books and TV series.
The round, first reported by The Information, wouldn’t be KonMari’s first infusion of venture investment, surprisingly. Last year, the company closed a small funding round led by top-tier VC fund Sequoia Capital, TechCrunch confirmed. A spokesperson for the business told TechCrunch KonMari isn’t commenting on fundraising at this time.
Sources have also confirmed with TechCrunch that Kondo is indeed on the fundraising circuit again, with plans to build an ecommerce platform.
“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” debuted on Netflix on January 1, 2019 to near-instant success, spurring a wave of internet-fandom for Kondo with her catchphrase “does it spark joy?” and efficient method of cleaning and organizing. The KonMari Method encourages cleaners to tidy by category, starting with clothes, then books, papers, miscellaneous items and sentimental items. “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go,” Kondo explains on her website.
KonMari was founded in 2015 by Kondo and her husband, Takumi Kawahara.