RZC Investments leads seed capital round for LIVSN Designs

Bentonville-based outdoor apparel company LIVSN Designs announced Monday (Dec. 4) raising a round of seed capital led by RZC Investments, a Bentonville-based investment platform for Steuart and Tom Walton. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

According to a news release, the investment is expected to support LIVSN staff expansion, further diversify its product line and help to scale up its distribution. Other investors included Cadron Capital Partners and Techstars.

“RZC has been my ideal partner since the day I started LIVSN,” said founder and CEO Andrew Gibbs-Dabney. “Their track record of building world-class products combined with their focus on outdoor recreation makes the RZC team a perfect ally to accelerate LIVSN’s mission.”

LIVSN was founded in 2018 and has five full-time employees. It’s raised more than $1 million on Kickstarter and offers its apparel for men and women at 80 retailers. In 2022, LIVSN raised $419,631 from 474 investors in a Wefunder campaign. The equity crowdfunding campaign allowed investors to receive company shares and perks. Gibbs-Dabney noted that the investors, who are shareholders, will receive an update about the deal terms.

“Our investment decision was heavily influenced by LIVSN’s fastidious dedication to product excellence, its impressive track record and its commitment to sustainable practices,” said Don Huffner, vice president at RZC. “We’ve admired Andrew’s vision for years and are excited to support LIVSN in leading the outdoor apparel category with versatile, durable products.” Huffner and outdoor industry veteran Phil Graves will join the company’s board of directors alongside Gibbs-Dabney.

Since graduating from the competitive Techstars Austin 2019 program, LIVSN has expanded its product line from the Flex Canvas to EcoTrek Trail pants. In 2021, the company hosted a Kickstarter campaign to launch the EcoTrek Trail pants. It raised $514,624 in the campaign, the state’s single largest crowdfunding raise. Earlier this year, LIVSN hosted its second-most successful Kickstarter when it raised $456,355 for the launch of its Century Jacket.