Tress was a social community platform for black women to share and discuss hairstyles, founded by three female software engineers from Ghana and launched in Nigeria in February 2016[1]. The company participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2017 batch and raised approximately $120-150k in funding[2][3]. Despite achieving strong early traction with over 60,000 users in Africa[4] and ranking among the top 25 YC Winter 2017 companies[5], Tress ceased operations in May 2018[6]. The company's failure illustrates the classic challenge of monetizing niche social communities, even when serving an underserved market with strong engagement.
Tress was founded by three software engineers who met at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) program in Ghana: Priscilla Hazel (CEO), Esther Olatunde (CTO), and Cassandra Sarfo (CPO/Product Lead)[7][8]. The founders had prior experience building health social networks and mobile apps for farmers in Africa[9].
The team identified a significant market opportunity based on the spending patterns of black women, who they noted spend "9 times more on hair than any other demographic"[10]. This statistic became a core part of their pitch to investors and validated their belief that there was an underserved market for hair-focused social platforms.
Tress was a social community platform where black women could upload photos of hairstyles and discuss how to replicate them[17]. The platform functioned as a specialized social network, allowing users to share hair inspiration, techniques, and advice within a community focused specifically on black women's hair needs.
The company was based in Accra, Ghana, and operated with just 2 employees[18]. We could not find detailed information about specific features, user interface design, or technical architecture of the platform.
Tress targeted what they described as 115 million black women with smartphones across America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Europe[19]. This represented a massive total addressable market, though the company initially focused on launching in Nigeria before expanding.
The platform differentiated itself by serving a highly specific demographic that was underserved by mainstream beauty and social platforms. While general social networks like Instagram and Pinterest existed, Tress offered a dedicated space for black women to find relevant hair inspiration and advice.
We could not find information about direct competitors or how Tress positioned itself against other beauty-focused platforms.
We could not find specific information about Tress's revenue model, pricing strategy, or unit economics. This lack of clarity around monetization may have been a contributing factor to the company's eventual failure.
Tress achieved notable early traction across multiple metrics:
User Base: The platform claimed over 60,000 users in Africa[20], representing significant adoption for a niche social platform.
Social Media Following: The company built a strong social media presence with over 4,000 followers on Facebook, 800 on Twitter, and more than 6,000 followers on Instagram[21].
Industry Recognition: Tress achieved a Mattermark Growth Score of 234, ranking it among the top 25 Y Combinator Winter 2017 companies[22]. This ranking suggested strong early momentum and growth metrics.
We could not find information about revenue figures, user engagement metrics, or detailed growth trajectories over time.
Tress ceased operations in May 2018, approximately two years after launch[23]. The website and mobile app became unavailable, and all three co-founders transitioned to developer roles at other companies[24].
Cassandra Sarfo started work as a software developer at getINNOtized in April 2018[25], while Esther Olatunde became a full-stack software developer at Lexoo, a European lawtech firm[26].
We could not find specific founder statements about why the company failed or post-mortem insights from the team. The lack of public commentary from the founders about their shutdown suggests they may have chosen to move on quietly rather than conduct a public post-mortem.
1. Strong traction doesn't guarantee monetization success: Despite achieving 60,000+ users and ranking among top YC companies, Tress couldn't convert engagement into sustainable revenue. Niche social platforms must solve monetization early, not assume it will follow naturally from user growth.
2. Market size alone isn't sufficient: While targeting 115 million black women represented a large addressable market, the company struggled to capture and monetize this opportunity. Founders should validate not just market size but also willingness to pay and sustainable unit economics.
3. Social platforms require massive scale or clear revenue models: Tress fell into the common trap of social platforms—building engagement without a clear path to profitability. Successful niche social platforms either achieve massive scale or implement direct monetization from early stages.
4. Geographic expansion complexity: Launching in Nigeria while targeting a global market of black women may have created operational challenges. Founders should consider whether to focus deeply on one market or spread resources across multiple regions.
5. Team transitions signal underlying issues: When all founders simultaneously move to traditional employment roles, it often indicates fundamental business model problems rather than execution issues. This pattern suggests the core business wasn't viable rather than just needing more time or resources.