Whatnot on track to pass $1B in 2026 revenue, WSJ reported, amid spending scrutiny
- Amount
- $1.0B
- Place in VP50
- #39
- Sources
- 2
- Claims verified
- 5 of 6
What happened
The Wall Street Journal reported on August 5, 2026 that Whatnot, the live-shopping app, was on track to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2026. This account relies on a Dealroom News summary of the WSJ article, which does not say who produced the revenue projection or whether Whatnot confirmed it. According to the summary, Whatnot estimated that it held nearly 60% of the live commerce market in North America and Europe, and it added 20 million new accounts in 2025.
The article also covered scrutiny of the app's design. Critics said the design encourages overspending and that Whatnot does too little to combat fraud and underage use. CEO Grant LaFontaine rejected the criticism, pointing to a 4.7 rating in Apple's App Store and saying overspending had not registered as a significant problem in the company's data. The summary said Whatnot introduced optional spending limits and watch-time caps last year, began rolling out a tool that immediately pauses spending in the week before the article, planned to test a passcode-restricted purchase step, and doubled its trust and safety team, which made up about a third of its roughly 1,200 employees.
Key points
- WSJ reported on August 5, 2026 that Whatnot was on track to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2026.12
- Whatnot estimated that it held nearly 60% of live commerce in North America and Europe.1
- The company added 20 million new accounts in 2025.1
- Critics said the design encourages overspending; CEO Grant LaFontaine rejected this, citing a 4.7 App Store rating.1
Why it matters
The $1 billion trajectory is a reported projection of the kind a valuation can be read against. The summary does not show Whatnot confirming it, so it is not a company-confirmed result.
The nearly 60% share is Whatnot's own estimate of its market. It describes the company's claimed position in live commerce, not an independent measure.
Scrutiny over overspending, fraud and underage use, and the safeguards Whatnot described, bear on the regulatory and reputational risk around the business model. The CEO said the issue had not registered as significant in company data.
In context
| Round | Date | Post-money valuation | Raised | Led by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series C | Sep 16, 2021 | $1.5B | $150M | Andreessen Horowitz, CapitalG, and Y Combinator's Continuity Fund |
| Series D | Jul 21, 2022 | $3.7B | $260M | CapitalG and DST Global |
| Series E | Jan 8, 2025 | $5.0B | $265M | Avra, DST Global, and Greycroft |
| Series F | Oct 28, 2025 | $12B | $225M | CapitalG and DST Global |
| Series G | Aug 7, 2026 | $20B | $545M | Avra, ICONIQ, and Lightspeed |
Updated
Fact-check
- WSJ reported on August 5, 2026 that Whatnot was on track to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2026.Dealroom News [1], which the checker read and which relays the WSJ reporting, states Whatnot is on track to pass $1 billion in revenue this year, in an article dated August 5, 2026. The WSJ page [2] could not be fetched by the checker, so the WSJ attribution rests on the event data.Partly verified
- Whatnot estimates it holds nearly 60% of the live commerce market in North America and Europe.Confirmed by [1] Dealroom News: the summary gives nearly 60% as Whatnot's own estimate.Verified
- Whatnot added 20 million new accounts in 2025.Confirmed by [1] Dealroom News: the summary states 20 million new accounts in 2025.Verified
- CEO Grant LaFontaine rejected the criticism and cited a 4.7 rating in Apple's App Store.Confirmed by [1] Dealroom News: the summary says he rejected the criticism, pointing to a 4.7 App Store rating and saying overspending has not registered as a significant problem in company data.Verified
- Whatnot doubled its trust and safety team, which is about a third of its roughly 1,200 employees.Confirmed by [1] Dealroom News: the summary gives the doubling and the about-a-third share of roughly 1,200 employees.Verified
- Whatnot added optional spending limits and watch-time caps last year, began rolling out an immediate spending pause the week before the article, and planned to test a passcode-restricted buying step.Confirmed by [1] Dealroom News: the article lists these controls with the same timing.Verified
Sources
- [1]Dealroom News (citing WSJ) (opens in a new tab)Whatnot nears $1B in revenue as scrutiny over live-shopping spending growson track to surpass $1 billion in revenue this year
- [2]The Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)Whatnot, the Live Shopping App Where Some People Bid Until They're Broke
