SECONDHAND LUXURY GOODS BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary

Company Description

Aurelian Exchange (name origin: "Aurelian" from Latin for gold, signaling premium value) is a U.S.-based digital marketplace launching in 2026 that trades authenticated pre-owned luxury fashion and accessories. We operate in the secondhand luxury retail sector and sell via a secure, membership-based platform that combines expert physical authentication, high-resolution imaging, and proprietary provenance tracking. Core offerings are commission-based consignment sales and tiered subscriptions for power sellers and collectors. One-liner: a trusted, members-only channel for authenticated luxury resale.

The business runs from a lean New York team of authenticators, e-commerce ops, and tech engineers who manage intake, authentication, photography, listing, fulfillment, and after-sales support. We target style-conscious buyers aged 30–55 in the U.S. with household incomes above $150k and sophisticated individual sellers and boutique estates. Short-term goals: achieve marketplace liquidity, 12-month GMV of $10M, and 30% gross margin. Long-term goals: national brand partnerships, 5x GMV in three years, and become the premium platform for circular luxury commerce. One-liner: high-margin, expert-driven resale focused on trust and sustainability.

Problem

High price points for new luxury fashion and widespread counterfeit risk leave many buyers without a safe, affordable route to authentic pieces. Owners of high-end items lack a trusted, profitable channel to resell; existing marketplaces show gaps in authentication, inconsistent curation, and poor seller support for marketing and logistics.

We will launch a U.S.-based, membership marketplace in 2026 that combines expert authentication, advanced technology, and a lean New York-based team to serve both casual buyers and professional resellers, closing trust, access, and monetization gaps in the luxury resale market.

Solution

We provide a curated, members-only digital marketplace that makes buying and selling authenticated pre-owned luxury goods simple and secure. The platform solves limited accessibility, seller friction, and counterfeit risk by combining rigorous authentication, listing optimization, escrowed payments, insured shipping, gated membership, and data-driven pricing—so buyers get confidence and sellers get higher net returns.

Key benefits: authentication removes counterfeit risk; listing standards shorten time-on-market and raise sale prices; escrow plus insured logistics eliminate payment and shipping disputes; membership gating raises trust and repeat transactions; analytics guide pricing and inventory decisions.

Mission Statement

We unlock the value of pre-owned luxury by building the world's most trusted and sustainable circular fashion marketplace. We empower a global community of style enthusiasts through technology, rigorous authenticity checks, and exclusive member benefits while reducing fashion's environmental impact by extending the lifecycle of high-quality goods. We set the gold standard for security and curation so luxury is accessible, profitable, and sustainable for everyone.

Key Success Factors

These core strengths drive customer trust, recurring revenue, and fast financial payback.

• Rigorous authentication process that builds and maintains consumer trust.
• Tiered subscription model delivering stable recurring revenue alongside transaction commissions.
• Improving marketing efficiency that reduces buyer and seller acquisition costs over time.
• Proprietary technology platform with analytics and promotional tools for high-volume professional resellers.
• Fast financial payback: breakeven within 15 months and a 22.15% return on equity.

Financial Summary

Brief: The plan shows rapid scale-up from an initial EBITDA loss to strong profitability and a 26-month payback.

The raise covers initial capex ($235,000) plus operating runway to breakeven in Mar-27; the model keeps a minimum cash reserve of $440,000 and targets payback in 26 months.

Conclusion: The business achieves positive EBITDA growth to $11,386,000 by 2030 with a 9% IRR and solid cash buffers.

Funding Requirements

We request USD 835,000 to fund product development, authentication equipment, office capex, a USD 150,000 2026 marketing program and a USD 440,000 minimum cash reserve; projections show an initial EBITDA loss of USD 265,000 in 2026, breakeven in March 2027, a 26-month payback and growth to USD 11,386,000 EBITDA by 2030 (average order value USD 1,500; IRR 9%).