Companies to Watch: E-Commerce

It’s holiday season — which for many means it’s shopping season. Experts predict that 10 of the busiest shopping days in the U.S. this year will be in Q4. That’s where e-commerce comes in.

Global e-commerce sales are expected to grow to $6.09 trillion this year — an 8.4% increase from the previous year, according to data from Shopify. And the industry is forecasted to grow to $8.09 trillion by 2028. The U.S. is the second biggest e-commerce market in the world, behind China. From 2022 to 2028, annual global e-commerce sales are projected to increase by nearly $3 billion.

In New York, e-commerce is one of the fastest growing retail subsectors, with the city home to more than 300 e-commerce startups.

It’s hard to remember the holidays before the beauty of e-commerce transformed life as we know it, giving us the power to order decorations, food, and gifts directly to our door.

That’s why this December, we caught up with founders from four companies who are innovating in the e-commerce space and transforming the way we pay and purchase.

For this edition of our Companies to Watch series, meet Andie Swim, Pietra, Paerpay, and Tiny Organics.

Andie Swim

“New York City is the epicenter of consumer e-commerce and fashion. It’s a hub of creativity, innovation, and ambition — there’s no better place to build and grow a brand like Andie.”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
Andie is a digitally native women’s swimwear brand that was founded in 2017. Andie redefined swimwear shopping for women by focusing on fit, quality, and timeless, versatile styles. Known for our inclusive sizing and thoughtful designs, Andie caters to women of all ages and body types, offering swimwear and lifestyle pieces that inspire confidence and comfort.

A question we like to ask every founder – Why New York?
New York City is the epicenter of consumer e-commerce and fashion. It’s a hub of creativity, innovation, and ambition — there’s no better place to build and grow a brand like Andie.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming e-commerce in America?
Technology is revolutionizing e-commerce by making the shopping experience more seamless, personalized, and efficient. At Andie, we leverage data and analytics to understand customer needs and preferences, enabling us to provide better fit recommendations and curated collections. Virtual try-ons, customer feedback loops, and streamlined logistics have all transformed how brands like ours connect with customers and deliver exceptional experiences.

How does Andie incorporate sustainability into its production and manufacturing of swimwear?
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact. As of 2024, approximately 75% of our products are made with recycled materials, including nylon and polyester yarns crafted from pre-consumer waste. All packaging, from polybags to hangtags, is made from 100% recycled materials, including ocean-bound plastics.

We avoid overproduction—a major contributor to waste in the fashion industry—by producing in smaller, as-needed quantities. Additionally, we ship most of our goods by ocean freight to reduce carbon emissions. Our factories undergo annual third-party audits to ensure compliance with strict environmental and ethical standards, and every factory signs our Vendor Code of Conduct, which upholds fair wages, safe working conditions, and zero tolerance for human rights violations.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about swimwear or e-commerce in general?
The idea for Andie came after a stressful shopping experience before a work retreat. I bought an overpriced swimsuit that I didn’t love, and I wasn’t alone—my colleagues on the trip all complained about their swimsuits too. That was my "aha" moment: swimwear shopping needed to change. I wanted to create a brand that just got it, with great swimsuits that were easy to shop for and even easier to wear.

What was the inspiration behind the name “Andie”?
I wanted a name that felt like a trusted friend. Swimwear shopping can be intimidating, and Andie represents someone who’s always got your back—a supportive, fun presence that makes the experience easier and more enjoyable.

As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Prioritizing me-time is key. I don’t stay "on" 24/7—I make time for family, and I don’t work on weekends unless there’s a crisis. After eight years, my approach is more balanced than in the early days when I worked most weekends. Setting boundaries and carving out quality time with my kids helps me recharge and stay focused.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Lucia’s on Canal Street

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
Gotan in Tribeca

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Sag Harbor

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
Build your community. New York can be overwhelming, but it’s also full of incredible people. Surround yourself with mentors, peers, and collaborators who understand the challenges and opportunities of building a business here. The relationships you form will be your biggest asset.

Pietra

“New York is the epicenter of culture. The vision for Pietra is to transcend ‘tech company’ and fundamentally change the way businesses operate. So as a commerce company, why would we choose any other place?”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
Pietra is the first vertically integrated e-commerce enablement platform. Pietra gives business owners access to a network of thousands of factories, a global fulfillment network, and all the software required to operate and grow sales online. With the avg. DTC brand losing money on every order, Pietra’s software and services gives business owners the ability to stay lean and operate more profitably as they scale.

A question we like to ask every founder – Why New York?
New York is the epicenter of culture. The vision for Pietra is to transcend “tech company” and fundamentally change the way businesses operate. So as a commerce company, why would we choose any other place :) ? After spending years in SF working at Uber and walking to work, I was tired of cleaning the (literal) sh*t off my shoes every day.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming e-commerce in America?
Right now there are two generational shifts happening that will transform e-commerce in America: global trade regulations and artificial intelligence technology. Technology will transform who can start a business, how to operate a business, and meaningfully increase entrepreneurship in America. Entrepreneurship leads to GDP growth and America, by embracing new technologies, will continue to grow at an unprecedented pace. Technology will lower the barrier of entry into business, make companies more profitable, grow the commerce ecosystem for the entire world. It’s a very exciting time.

How does Pietra leverage AI to help e-commerce businesses scale and grow?
Pietra is building the world’s first AI-powered business platform. We believe in a future where digital workers will do all the operations and marketing grunt work it takes to run a business day-to-day. Today, Pietra members get access to manny game changing AI tools:

AI Product Design Studio: Use the power of AI to create 3D renderings of products that you can manufacture and sell online. Start with a description, a sketch, or a reference product and generate thousands of products and variations with impeccable quality. And all designs can be submitted directly to a manufacturing network to be made. Link here. This year alone over 1 million products were designed on Pietra.

AI Powered Sourcing Agent: When working with factories, users can activate an AI powered expert sourcing agent. Instead of hiring a broker or agency, ask your digital sourcing agent questions and get the benefit of an expert without the costs.

AI Powered Marketing Suite: Deploy AI agents to contact retail buyers around the world (digital sales force), deploy AI agents to monitor your social media reputation and send reports directly to your inbox (digital social media coordinator), and use AI to create marketing content for your ads and organic content (digital graphic designer). This digital marketing workforce that you can deploy can save brands tens of thousands per month of overhead costs. However, it isn’t meant to replace your existing team, it’s designed to give your existing team superpowers and 10x their output.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about building a company and e-commerce in general?
After Uber I spent some time at CloudKitchens (Travis Kalanick’s startup after Uber), where I saw the true power of reinventing the infrastructure of an entire industry. While in LA I watched one of my best friends start a company and got a first-hand look at how broken the entire industry really was. Operators would spend 80-90% of their time cobbling together solutions, spending tens of thousands of dollars, and reinventing the wheel. The ecosystem was the exact opposite of technology where turnkey solutions to speed up development was the industry standard.

So we set out to build the world’s first platform that provided turnkey solutions for e-commerce brand owners that were fundamentally more accessible and affordable. And we did that by creating a Pietra Membership, where any member of our community would get access to software and services needed to run and grow a business, at a fraction of the cost and effort.

Very quickly we understood that this was a universal problem, like I saw at Uber, where business owners around the world all needed help. They had the desire to start businesses and scale them but didn’t have the means to do so. Now with Pietra, they can.

What was the inspiration behind the name “Pietra”?
Anna Wintour chose the name from a shortlist of names. Amazing to think about. Few people know this but we started our company focused on one vertical: jewelry. We built the backend software to power diamond dealers, jewelry designers, and help them operate online. At that time our company’s name was Carbon. When we were rebranding the company to reflect where we wanted to go as a company, we knew we needed a different name. One that paid respect to our past but also signaled a new direction for the company. Over a lunch, a shortlist of names was shared with Anna and she proposed we go with Pietra (which means “stone” in italian) and that was that – we went with Pietra.

As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
I’m a firm believer in the concept that my life and work are one thing. I realized early on that the way I can be most happy is to optimize each day around doing something physical, reading something inspiring, and doing something intellectually stimulating. If I do just one of these things in a day, I’ll go to sleep feeling unfulfilled. The goal now is to make sure that each day, I’m doing as many of these things, if not all of them.

Also, coffee. Coffee brings me more joy than I care to admit.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Emmett’s thin crust is the best thin crust pizza in NYC. I’ll challenge anyone to find me a better spot.

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
Right now, I have to say that La Cabra seems to have the best coffee program in the city. Don’t sleep on their pastries either. They are to die for.

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Is it possible to escape the noise of the city? I think I’ll always hear the faint buzz of a garbage truck driving down the street outside my apartment as long as I live.

But I really needed to escape, I go for a run along the water starting at Alphabet City. It’s possible that I just ruined that sanctuary for everyone and now people will flock to it. Let’s hope it stays quiet for a little while longer.

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
One piece of advice that has always stuck with me comes from the unequivocal Keith Rabois who is also on the board of directors at Pietra. Founders should not be focusing on hedging. The goal is to employ heroic efforts to achieve what you’re trying to achieve as a company. Just by thinking that another path is viable, you lower your chances of achieving the original goal. Focus on the mission, do everything you can to achieve it. Closely related to that comes another piece of advice I really like from Bezos: be stubborn on vision but flexible on the details. Some combination of both of these feels like the recipe for startup success.

Paerpay

“New York is the perfect home for Paerpay because it’s a city that never sleeps — just like the restaurant industry.”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
Paerpay is an AI platform designed to streamline and enhance the restaurant ordering and guest engagement experience. We empower restaurants to handle phone orders efficiently using AI, reducing wait times and increasing customer satisfaction.

The restaurant industry faces significant challenges with staff shortages and inefficiencies in handling phone orders, especially during peak hours. These issues can lead to missed orders, frustrated customers, and lost revenue. Paerpay solves this by automating the phone ordering process, allowing restaurants to focus on delivering exceptional food and service while ensuring no orders are missed.

A question we like to ask every founder – Why New York?
New York is the perfect home for Paerpay because it’s a city that never sleeps — just like the restaurant industry. With its unmatched diversity of cuisines, high volume of restaurants, and relentless pace, NYC presents both the challenges and opportunities that inspire innovation.

What’s more, the NYC tech community has been an invaluable part of our journey. The people here are not only brilliant but also deeply collaborative and supportive. From investors to fellow founders, the network here is like no other. The connections I’ve built through organizations like SEEN 50, Forbes Under 30, Techstars and the broader startup ecosystem have been instrumental in Paerpay’s growth. NYC doesn’t just provide the market we serve; it offers a thriving, resource-rich environment for building a business. Simply put, New York pushes us to be our best—and that’s why we’re here.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming e-commerce in America?
The tech sector is revolutionizing e-commerce in America by making it more seamless, personalized, and accessible. Innovations like AI, machine learning, and automation are reshaping how businesses connect with consumers. Today, customers expect convenience, speed, and a tailored shopping experience, and technology is the driving force that makes this possible.

For example, in industries like food and beverage, where Paerpay operates, tech is bridging the gap between traditional operations and modern customer expectations. By automating phone orders and optimizing revenue capture, we’re bringing e-commerce-like efficiency to the restaurant world.

The role of the tech sector goes beyond just enhancing consumer convenience. It’s about empowering businesses of all sizes to compete on a level playing field, optimize their operations, and unlock new revenue streams. As technology continues to evolve, I believe we’ll see even greater integration of AI, voice tech, and predictive analytics into e-commerce, fundamentally transforming the way we shop and do business in America.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about the fintech or e-commerce sector?
I’ve been passionate about fintech and e-commerce since high school. Right after graduating, I built my first e-commerce brand, which gave me an early look into how technology could streamline operations and connect businesses with customers. That experience sparked my excitement for solving real-world problems through tech.

In 2017, I took that passion further and won the Money20/20 financial technology hackathon, which was a pivotal moment for me. It reinforced my belief in the power of fintech to drive meaningful innovation, especially when paired with a customer-first approach.

Since then, I’ve been focused on building solutions like Paerpay that help businesses optimize operations, capture revenue, and enhance customer experiences. For me, fintech and e-commerce are about creating opportunities for businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

How does Paerpay leverage AI to help merchants sell products and services?
Paerpay uses AI to optimize and automate the ordering experience, enabling merchants—particularly restaurants—to capture more revenue and deliver exceptional customer service. Our Voice AI technology handles phone orders with accuracy and efficiency, ensuring that every customer call is answered, every order is processed, and no revenue opportunity is missed.

By automating phone line interactions, Paerpay reduces the operational burden on staff, allowing merchants to focus on delivering great products and services. Our AI also learns and adapts over time, providing personalized recommendations and streamlining processes to improve order accuracy and customer satisfaction.

Ultimately, we empower merchants to scale their operations, enhance customer experiences, and maximize revenue—all without additional staffing needs. Paerpay is turning phone lines into a valuable, automated sales channel.

As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Building a company can be all-consuming, but I’ve learned the importance of making time for self-care to stay energized and focused. Boxing has become one of my favorite ways to recharge—it’s a great workout and helps clear my mind. I also love exploring the city on my one-wheel, which lets me take in New York’s energy while having some fun.

Discovering hot new restaurants is another passion of mine; it’s not just relaxing but also keeps me connected to the industry I’m serving. Lastly, spending quality time with friends and family keeps me grounded and reminds me why I’m working so hard. Balancing these activities with the demands of building a company helps me show up as the best version of myself every day.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Prince Street Pizza

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
White Noise

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
My Apartment

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received about building a startup in New York City is to embrace the power of networking and community. NYC is packed with brilliant minds, from founders and investors to creatives and operators, all willing to share insights and open doors—if you take the initiative to connect.

I’ve learned that intentionally building relationships and seeking collaborative opportunities can make all the difference. Whether it’s attending events, reaching out to mentors, or tapping into communities, the value of the NYC network is unmatched.

At the same time, I always share this advice: stay focused on your mission. New York is exciting and fast-paced, but it’s easy to get distracted. Leverage the city’s resources, but always align your efforts with the problem you’re solving. The combination of focus and connections is the key to thriving in NYC as a founder.

Tiny Organics

“Our favorite quote is: ‘What got you here won’t get you there.’ It highlights the need for growth, adaptation, and change as we move forward. Something New York City has in abundance!”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
At Tiny Organics, our mission is to shape the palates of generations of children by helping them learn to love vegetables from the earliest bites. We deliver organic, nutrient-dense, and balanced meals to busy parents nationwide.

A question we like to ask every founder – Why New York?
New York is the epicenter of so many things, and we’re fortunate to call it our home base. The City also has a vibrant founder community with numerous homegrown healthy, organic food brands. The energy, enthusiasm, and excitement here are unmatched.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming e-commerce in America?
E-commerce in 2024 is a more developed version of what it was 5-10 years ago, with a mature paid media ecosystem and a continued focus on emerging organic acquisition and brand awareness channels. At Tiny, we’ve been fortunate to have a strong community of parents and word-of-mouth support since our founding.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about early childhood nutrition or e-commerce in general?
There’s an invention in Finland, where Sofia is from, called the Finnish Baby Box, which provides everything you need for your baby’s first year, free of charge from the government. We’ve seen firsthand the importance of support for families with young children and have always been passionate about advocating for parents and children. We realized we could make the biggest impact on childhood development through food. Carolyn has a long career in food and nutrition and brings a wealth of industry knowledge.

Why is it important to introduce vegetables and nutritional food to children at young ages?
Currently, only 10% of children in the U.S. get the daily recommended amount of vegetables, and the majority of that comes from French fries. Research shows that the more flavors and textures you introduce in the first two years of a child’s life, the more likely they are to become adventurous eaters. Tiny Organics is dedicated to cultivating a love for vegetables and healthy foods in children. We’ve developed a programmatic approach to childhood nutrition, where each core ingredient is tailored to benefit your child’s nutritional stage.

As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
We always prioritize spending time with our families to reset and reconnect with our “why” for the business.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Always will be a fan of Joe’s!

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
Thea in Fort Greene. Besides great coffee, they also have an amazing selection of baked goods. It’s a sister establishment to a few other wonderful restaurants in Brooklyn.

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
A long walk in Prospect Park. We are so grateful for the hundreds of NYC parks!

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
Our favorite quote is: “What got you here won’t get you there.” It highlights the need for growth, adaptation, and change as we move forward. Something New York City has in abundance!