AI-Powered Encore: The Ultimate Search Engine for Thrifting Finds

Alex Ruber, a former Apple engineer, and Parth Chopra, a former Twitter and Asana engineer, have teamed up to solve a common pain point in the secondhand shopping market—finding the right product without hours of searching through fragmented online platforms. The duo, who met on Y Combinator’s founder match platform, began collaborating after a thrift store shopping trip, where they realized how difficult it was to navigate the maze of online secondhand marketplaces like Depop, Mercari, ThredUp, eBay, and Craigslist.

To address this issue, Ruber and Chopra co-founded Encore, an AI-powered search engine designed to aggregate secondhand products from multiple sources, allowing users to quickly find what they’re looking for without jumping between sites. Their goal is to streamline the process of online secondhand shopping, which has become increasingly popular, yet remains highly fragmented. Ruber pointed out that while there are plenty of secondhand resources available, the fragmented nature of the market makes it difficult for users to sift through all of them and find the right items.

Encore’s search engine integrates products from platforms such as Poshmark, The RealReal, Grailed, Etsy, and eBay, providing a one-stop-shop for users. Powered by large language model (LLM) technology, Encore allows for a wide range of search queries, from simple phrases like “Show me jeans” to more complex ones like “I am a 6’2” person who skies and looking for skier pants under $100 with no big logos on them.” Users can even search for very specific items, such as a particular jacket worn in a TV show—like Carmy’s patchwork jacket from The Bear—or a dress worn in Emily in Paris. The flexibility of Encore’s search engine helps users find exactly what they need, saving them valuable time and effort.

For Ruber, the idea for Encore was deeply personal. Growing up, his mom would take him to flea markets, where he would often discover hidden gems. He recalls purchasing a piano from a flea market, which later helped him learn to play the instrument. This nostalgia for treasure hunting in secondhand spaces resonated with Chopra, who shared Ruber’s passion for thrifting and fashion. This shared background and interest in the circular economy made the two an ideal team for launching Encore.

The secondhand retail market is on a strong growth trajectory, with analysts projecting it to reach $73 billion in the U.S. and $350 billion globally by 2028. According to a report by online thrift store ThredUp, online secondhand resale is expected to account for half of the secondhand market by 2025. With this trend in mind, Encore is seeing significant growth. The startup processes over 50,000 searches per month, with a 26% month-on-month growth in searches and 15% growth in clicks.

Encore currently generates revenue through affiliate commissions from product sales that result from searches on its platform. However, the startup is also exploring a $3-per-month subscription model that would offer users unlimited searches, advanced search features, the ability to find items by uploading images, and customer support via email and chat.

The company’s approach, combining AI-powered search with a focus on the growing secondhand market, has positioned Encore to capitalize on a major trend in the retail space. As more consumers turn to secondhand shopping for sustainability reasons or to find unique items, Encore’s ability to streamline and simplify the process could provide a valuable service, especially as the market continues to expand.