The CEO and co-founder of the company, Yash Wagh, welcomed me into a repurposed warehouse space filled with a variety of used items ready for resale, such as furniture, desk chairs, and home decor.
Wagh, a former supply chain leader at Amazon, joined forces with OfferUp co-founders Nick Huzar and Arean van Veelen to introduce a logistics-driven marketplace that reimagines the secondhand goods economy.
“Someone else’s trash is our treasure,” Wagh remarked.
Gone recently emerged from stealth mode after securing a $6.3 million seed round led by Seattle-based firm FUSE, with participation from Breakwater Ventures, Evergreen Gavekal, TiE Angels, Tampa Bay Ventures, OneSixOne Ventures, and other angel investors. Jeff Hill and Ben Hoskins of 1-800-GOT-JUNK also contributed to the funding.
Buying online with a single click has never been simpler. However, disposing of items is not as straightforward.
Gone addresses this challenge by providing free pickups of reusable goods, utilizing its own trucks and third-party delivery partners. The company utilizes artificial intelligence to determine which products to collect and optimize supply chain logistics.
AI also assists in pricing the products, which are resold through various channels: Gone’s online shop, its Renton storefront, and third-party platforms like OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist.
“Our aim is to unlock the value residing in people’s homes,” Wagh explained.
Wagh emphasized that offering free pickups and utilizing automation technology gives Gone a competitive advantage over traditional junk haulers and thrift stores. While Gone does not share revenue with individuals on resold items, the company believes that simply offering to haul items away without charging fees is a compelling value proposition for consumers.
The startup bears some resemblance to OfferUp, a popular used goods marketplace located in nearby Bellevue, Washington. However, it focuses on a different aspect of the “re-commerce” experience.
“OfferUp is effective for selling individual items,” Huzar noted. “But when you need an entire office cleared out or a large space emptied quickly, Gone is the solution. A truck arrives, and the items are gone.”
Gone is currently averaging 20-to-25 pickups per week, maintaining its 12,000-square-foot Renton hub at full capacity. The company is now shifting its focus to generating foot traffic and boosting e-commerce sales.
Gone is also exploring collaborations with moving companies, real estate agents, homeowners’ associations, property managers, and office liquidators — potentially including revenue-sharing agreements on resold items.
Seattle serves as a testing ground for Gone as it refines its business model before expanding to other cities. The company currently employs 16 individuals.
Huzar relinquished his role as CEO of OfferUp in 2021 and subsequently launched a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the environmental impact of consumption, driven in part by his interest in “circularity” and the local movement of goods. He is also a co-founder of Juicer, a new Seattle-based startup specializing in EV charging infrastructure.
van Veelen, who stepped down as OfferUp’s CTO in 2017, now serves as the chief experience officer at Gone.
Wagh initiated contact with Huzar through a cold message on LinkedIn. Their idea for Gone blossomed after touring Seattle and collecting used items from individuals eager to declutter their homes.
Within Gone’s warehouse, Wagh highlighted a console table crafted from gnarled tree roots, resembling a piece from a high-end design catalog. Like everything at Gone, this table was salvaged.
Situated at the entrance of Gone’s office, the table is placed below mossy wall decor featuring the company’s logo prominently embedded in the center.
Wagh emphasized that the table symbolizes the sustainability-focused mission of Gone: to influence consumer purchasing habits in an effort to reduce emissions and promote circular consumption.
“While buying new items may provide a sense of satisfaction, it is not environmentally beneficial,” he remarked.
