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Dan Gilbert, right, president and founder of Quicken Loans, co-founder of StockX, and Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX, during the reunion of Detroit Wednesday(Photo: Robin Buckson, The Detroit News)Buy a photo

StockX, a Detroit-based consumer market that connects buyers and sellers of sports shoes, streetwear, handbags and watches, plans to hire more than 1,000 people over the next year, after funding from $ 44 million. Most of these hires will be in Detroit.

CEO Josh Luber and co-founder Dan Gilbert made the announcement Wednesday at the Detroit Reunion Gala at Little Caesars Arena. The fundraising, led by Google Ventures and Battery Ventures, was one of the most important for a Detroit startup.

"Having Dan as co-founder is a unique situation," Luber told the Detroit News before the gala. "Because of that, we never really thought that we were going to take external financing, we were lucky and humbled to see that almost all the big CEOs and investors in the country have achieved their goal. will answer the call. " . "

StockX works a lot like eBay, but as an intermediary, it authenticates the goods in its warehouses before shipping them to the buyers. Product prices rise and fall depending on supply and demand, as does the stock market. StockX takes between 9.5 and 14.5% of the selling price.

Since its launch less than three years ago, StockX today has more than 400 employees and records more than $ 2 million in transactions per day, or about $ 700 million a year and is expected to exceed $ 1 billion. .

The final round of funding, which wrapped up in May, also included investor DJ Steve Aoki, model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, street designer Don C and Salesforce president Marc Benioff. They join rapper Eminem and actor Mark Wahlberg, who have already supported the startup.

Luber said the money was going to hiring new people, which StockX is already doing. In March, it had 30 employees. In one year, he hopes to have 1,500.

Mr. Luper stated that StockX was recruiting in all positions from those who unload trucks and authenticate sports shoes and handbags to senior management. Computer engineers and those who work in customer service are particularly needed. StockX has 200 positions available at Detroit HQ and its authentication centers in Detroit and Tempe, Arizona. It will soon open authentication centers in Newark, New Jersey and Europe.

The investment will also contribute to the marketing of the brand. StockX launched two TV spots two months ago and was very popular. Luper said she planned to continue to use social media and television, but also to look at billboards and public transit advertising to create name recognition.

For now, the company does not intend to open a hard site, even if Luper said it was a possibility. In addition, it retains its four categories of products, but continues to expand its product offering.

"It's like it's zero day in terms of growth opportunity," Luper said. "We have a long way to go here in the best way possible."

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