Byrd, an Austrian-German logistic startup nets €5M funding to power the e-commerce boom, plans to launch in the Netherlands and France

Byrd is an international e-commerce fulfillment network that gives online shops access to a scalable and powerful logistics solution. Recently, the logistics startup has raised €5M funding in Series A round led by Rider Global, a venture fund with a strong focus on logistics, e-commerce, and mobility.

Raised €9 million to date

Others including VentureFriends, FJ Labs, consumer Internet companies as well as current investors participated in the round. To date, the company has raised more than €9 million from business angels and VCs, including Speedinvest, Reflex Capital, Hermann Hauser, and KK Incube, as well as public funding.  

CEO and Co-Founder, Alexander Leichter, said: “E-commerce is booming but consumers are more demanding than ever. We armour retailers with the best possible logistics solution, so they can compete with the world’s biggest online shops, meeting consumers’ ever-increasing expectations now and in the future.”

Major focus on technology

With this funding, Byrd is planning to add another three European countries to its fulfillment network in 2020. Also, with a new Chief Product Officer and a Head of Data Engineering and Analytics, technology will be a major focus in the next months. 

E-commerce fulfillment platform 

Byrd offers an e-commerce fulfillment platform that helps SMEs to easily outsource their logistics so that they can focus on their core competencies and efficiently grow their business. 

The company uses digital interfaces to connect e-commerce systems to its warehouse management system, which is used by partner-warehouses internationally. 

The fully integrated solution enables the fulfillment of orders with no time delay and with maximum proximity to the recipient, therefore reducing shipping costs and cutting delivery times.

Wake up call for e-commerce market

The COVID-19 crisis had a powerful impact on the e-commerce market. To make the supply chain more flexible and resilient, large brands are now seeking flexible on-demand fulfillment solutions, like Byrd, claims the company. 

Furthermore, the ability to fulfill from multiple warehouses simultaneously, as well as the digital interface which provides full transparency thanks to real-time data, are two major reasons for big brands to work with byrd. 

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, many retailers have started selling products online and need an efficient fulfillment solution. Compared to last year, the number of requests we received from merchants increased by almost 500%”, says co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Petra Dobrocka. 

Coming soon to the Netherlands and France

Currently, the company can ship 10,000 orders per day from more than 10 different warehouses, with storage capacities of more than 500,000 square meters. At present, the company operates in the UK, Germany, and Austria and will launch in the Netherlands and France in the coming weeks. 

Founded in 2016 by Alexander Leichter, Christoph Krofitsch, Petra Dobrocka, and Sebastian Mach, Byrd has offices in Berlin and Vienna. It has grown from 25 to 60 employees in the last 10 months and has ambitious plans to become a global player in the growing e-commerce market by revolutionising the logistics industry.

”We are excited about the market that Byrd is active in. The increasing e-commerce share of direct-to-consumer brands in the US is a trend we see emerging rapidly in Europe as well. To successfully compete with established industry leaders, retailers need flexible logistics solutions like Byrd,” explains Timur Boridko, Managing Partner at Rider Global.

Main image credits: Byrd