Print-on-demand marketplace group Articore, owner of Australian-born platform Redbubble, has just acquired Indian-based creator platform Frankly Wearing for $900,000.
As part of this acquisition, Articore shared it is planning to accelerate the group’s technology roadmap, through the establishment of an Indian-based offshore engineering capability. This is the first toward a Global Capability Center (GCC), and is expected to provide a strategic entry point into the over US$1 billion Indian print-on-demand market.
Frankly Wearing is an established 3-sided creator marketplace with dynamics similar to Redbubble and TeePublic. According to Articore, Frankly Wearing delivers consistent high double-digit growth and positive cash flow.
As part of the deal, Frankly Wearing’s founders – Naman Wadhwa and Angad Singh Puri – will join Articore and will receive performance-based long-term incentives.
The transaction will be funded with existing cash reserves and is not expected to impact the Group’s FY26 underlying cash flow guidance of AU$8 to AU$12 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of May 2026.
Alongside this, Naseema Sparks AM has been appointed as an independent non-executive director. Sparks is already a board director at a few places according to her LinkedIn, including Homart Pharmaceuticals, OpenMarkets Group and Boman Group. In the early 2010s, she was the chair of DealsDirect.
The acquisition and new appointment comes as the group’s strategic review has concluded, which has affirmed that the disciplined execution of Articore's strategic plan “represents the most compelling path to long-term shareholder value”.
Articore chair Robin Mendelson said these announcements underscore the board’s confidence in the foundation put in place to accelerate the company’s growth trajectory.
“Following a rigorous seven-month review of strategic alternatives, the board concluded that executing our strategy as an independent company provides the best long-term value creation opportunity for shareholders,” Mendelson said. “We are now focused with clarity on the next chapter — driving profitable growth by becoming the best destination for customers to discover unique, design-led products, and the best platform for creators to earn.”
Mendelson also welcomed Sparks to the board. She said her background in high-growth consumer-facing technology businesses strongly complements the company’s next chapter.
This comes after Articore managed to increase its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to $12.1 million in the first half of FY26, which is the highest level in five years. This comes alongside a continued moderation in marketplace revenue (MPR), down 3.2 per cent in the second quarter of FY26, from a 6.6 per cent decline in the first quarter.
Articore CEO Vivek Kumar said he and his team have spent the last few quarters getting the foundations right, which has shown in these recent results.
“Our strategy is clear: build on our momentum and scale a model where growth and profitability reinforce each other,” Kumar said. “The Frankly Wearing acquisition accelerates our technology roadmap and opens a significant new market.
“With continued improvement in marketplace trajectory, two high-growth businesses in Dashery and Frankly Wearing and AI-driven gains, we are well-positioned to deliver profitable growth that compounds over time.”