Paddle8

Paddle8 was an online auction house founded in May 2011 and based in New York City, specializing in fine art including post-war and contemporary art, prints and multiples, photography, street art, and collectibles. Co-founded by Alexander Gilkes, Aditya Julka, and Osman Khan, the platform focused on pieces priced between $1,000 and $100,000 vetted by specialists for authenticity, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Hong Kong. Paddle8 built a community of over 500,000 collectors and partnered with more than 300 non-profit organizations — including the Guggenheim and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art — to host benefit auctions online, raising more than $33 million for charities. The company raised $44 million in total venture funding before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2020.