Industry E-commerce Headquarters San Francisco | Website giltcity.com Founded 2010 | |
Founder Patricia Calfee - Ian Picache Owner Gilt Groupe, Acquired 2010 | ||
a bergine the blank tapes official music video
Bergine launched in March 2010 as the first luxury deal-of-the-day site in the United States. Co-founded by Ian Picache and Patricia Calfee, Bergine was an online retail business providing daily "flash-sale" offers to restaurants, spas and boutiques at up to 70% off retail prices. Headquartered in San Francisco, California Bergine presented weekly and daily offers in San Francisco, Napa Valley and Los Angeles.
Contents
In October 2010, seven months after launching, Bergine was acquired by Internet retail pioneer, Gilt Groupe and became a significant part of the Gilt City business.
Competitors
Created as a luxury version of Groupon, Bergine was the first company to launch in the luxury flash sale space. However, soon after their launch, several companies began re-shaping their own brands to compete in the luxury market.
Acquisition
Bergine and Gilt Groupe announced the company sale on October 26, 2010. The entire Bergine team went to Gilt Groupe with the exception of Ian Picache. Patricia Calfee joined Gilt Groupe during transition, but left the company in early 2011. Ian Picache, formerly with Technology Crossover Ventures and Morgan Stanley, and Patricia Calfee were the sole investors in Bergine. There is heavy speculation that Gilt Groupe will file for an I.P.O. in 2014.
Husband & Wife Team
Married less than a year before launching Bergine, Ian and Patricia spoke with Woman's Day about the benefits and stress of working together as a couple. Ian Picache returned to private equity in 2012 and now serves as managing member of Two Six Capital.