About
Benoit Pagotto, the visionary behind RTFKT, a prominent virtual fashion platform in the NFT market, initially built his career in retail, spending four years at the renowned Parisian concept store Colette before transitioning into marketing. His professional journey included roles at various advertising and design agencies, eventually leading him in-house to esports giant Fnatic.
In early 2020, Pagotto, alongside co-founders Chris Le and Steven Vasilev, launched RTFKT. Despite facing a potential setback when Nike secured a patent for CryptoKicks, a blockchain-based virtual sneaker similar to RTFKT's core product, the team persevered. RTFKT gained rapid attention for its virtual sneaker drops, collaborating with notable artists like Jeff Staple and Takashi Murakami.
The company's growth was meteoric. In 2021, a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz raised $8 million, and RTFKT proudly announced a $3.1 million revenue from a virtual sneaker collaboration with digital artist Fewocious in under five minutes. Monthly revenue soared to $4.5 million in May 2021, a staggering leap from its previous total annual revenue of $600,000.
RTFKT's narrative took an unexpected turn in 2021 when Nike, having never released CryptoKicks, acquired RTFKT for an undisclosed amount. Pagotto, now holding the title of senior director, brand, and partnerships at Nike, witnessed the culmination of their story in April when the two companies finally unveiled the long-awaited CryptoKicks.
In early 2020, Pagotto, alongside co-founders Chris Le and Steven Vasilev, launched RTFKT. Despite facing a potential setback when Nike secured a patent for CryptoKicks, a blockchain-based virtual sneaker similar to RTFKT's core product, the team persevered. RTFKT gained rapid attention for its virtual sneaker drops, collaborating with notable artists like Jeff Staple and Takashi Murakami.
The company's growth was meteoric. In 2021, a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz raised $8 million, and RTFKT proudly announced a $3.1 million revenue from a virtual sneaker collaboration with digital artist Fewocious in under five minutes. Monthly revenue soared to $4.5 million in May 2021, a staggering leap from its previous total annual revenue of $600,000.
RTFKT's narrative took an unexpected turn in 2021 when Nike, having never released CryptoKicks, acquired RTFKT for an undisclosed amount. Pagotto, now holding the title of senior director, brand, and partnerships at Nike, witnessed the culmination of their story in April when the two companies finally unveiled the long-awaited CryptoKicks.
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