See other companies on Welcome to the Jungle

Bags

Growth financing marketplace for women and diverse-owned businesses.

Bags logo
1-20 employees
  • B2B
  • Marketplace
  • Financial Services
  • Venture Capital
  • Social Impact
Civic Center, New York, NY

Company mission

To help business owners find the right financing for their short and long term needs, so that they can grow their business without giving away equity.

27% female employees

Our take

Bags is a funding marketplace and community for underrepresented US organizations and projects that looking to grow without handing over equity to VCs. Through the Bags online directory, users can access a spread of business-critical resources like funding opportunities, business development guidance, and educational content. Through access to these resources, which may otherwise be difficult for some groups, Bags promotes diverse entrepreneurship as a vehicle for greater financial inclusion.

Whilst engagement figures are hard to judge, there’s a healthy spread of new features and resources that Bags has built out since its relatively recent launch. It’s signed up partnerships with companies like ADmission, SLAP, and TONL, launched a Flowcode-sponsored Watt Program Pilot, and a guidance and funding program called Impact 5x.

This is a good start, and maintaining this kind of flexibility of purpose will give Bags the breadth and agility to remain relevant to the changing needs of its target community. There are already around 30 million small businesses in the US, with this number growing as more people pivot towards entrepreneurship. So Bags has a strong market to play to.

Freddie headshot

Freddie

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Benefits

  • 💻 The equipment you need to get the job done
  • 💜 Mission driven team and a stake in the business
  • 🏥 Healthcare and unlimited mental health days
  • 🌴 30 days holiday + 9 days public public holidays
  • 🌎 Work from anywhere, or come into our (awesome) NYC office

Company values

  • Make It Count: We lead by example to inspire action. We seize each day with intention, purpose, and a desire to make an impact. We create opportunities. We prioritize working smart, being present, and caring about quality
  • Rise Together: As Amplifiers, we support each other to do our best work. We value kindness, empathy, and leaving ego at the door. We give honest, real feedback, allowing the best ideas to rise to the top
  • People Matter Most: We succeed when our community succeeds. We care deeply about our community members as humans, and we strive to always meet people where they are. We deliver meaningful results by listening first, gathering data, and continuously improving our processes
  • Play and Explore: Vibes matter. We bring ourselves to work. We stay curious and explorative. We have fun. We always assume positive intent and stay humble
  • Strength in Diversity: We ensure equitable opportunities and representation. Our ambition drives us to raise the bar and create opportunities for our customers to succeed. We break glass ceilings and remove barriers to success. We believe hard work should always have the same horsepower

Funding (2 rounds)

Oct 2022

$3m

SEED

Jan 2020

$1m

SEED

Total funding: $4m

Leadership

Daniel Taylor

(Co-founder and CEO)

A serial entrepreneur, who previously co-founded AskTipster (acquired by the dtx company), BlocSide Sports, the AJAX Academy in Dubai, and Only4stars, and worked on the founding team of Flowcode. Is also a co-owner of Dundalk Football Club.

Ignacio Semerene

(Co-founder)

Co-Founder and Head of Product at Bags. Former Chief of Staff and Director at Monzo Bank in the UK. Brown University alum.

William Hayden

(Co-founder)

Worked in business development at Harrow Sports, then Next Level Resource Partners, before moving into an account executive role at Brunswick Group. Then pivoted into various tv and film content production roles at UM Worldwide, Please Don't Touch the Art (which he founded), and TRAVERSE32.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Bags

Ignacio Semerene (Co Founder)

  • We care deeply about creating a diverse team so we particularly encourage applications from people from different underrepresented demographics. We encourage you, regardless of your background and past experience, to apply if the role excites you.
  • We know that If we want to solve problems for underrepresented business owners, our team has to represent our customers. We’re committed to attracting the best talent and creating an inclusive and supportive environment where our team can thrive.

Endorsements

All

Meaningful work (3)

Focus on employee wellbeing (2)

Opportunities to learn (1)

Autonomy (1)

Nice people (1)

Open and honest communication (1)

Great work is recognised (1)

Diversity is a priority (1)

Inspiring mission (1)