The e-commerce industry in Europe has witnessed a rapid growth over years, all thanks to the advancement in technology. Well, your smartphone’s screen is the window to shop any product that you want right now. It is combined with powerful analytics, app development and other technologies. Europe is home to an array of innovative and diverse e-commerce startups that are focused on solving a slew of customer requirements and pain points. This industry has witnessed a great progress of late.
It has grown to such an extent that e-commerce is a major driver of the growth in economy in some countries. Eventually, there is increased productivity and new job opportunities in the industry. Having said that, here are some fast-growing e-commerce startups in Europe that redefine this industry in 2020.
Coolblue (Netherlands)
Founders: Pieter Zwart, Paul de Jong, Bart Kuijpers,
Funding: €140 million
Founded year: 1999
Why its hot: Coolblue is one of the largest online shops in the Netherlands and Belgium. Being one of the unicorns in the Netherlands, this e-commerce company charges no shipping cost for orders, sends customers a text message once their order has been packed and shipped, and answers all questions from both existing and potential customers on social media within 30 minutes to make customers happy. It uses Augmented Reality to help customers make a choice before ordering the product.
Shoplo (Poland)
Founders: Patryk Pawlikowski and Grzegorz Lech
Funding: €730k
Founded year: 2012
Why its hot: Shoplo, a Polish multichannel e-commerce platform was acquired by London-based fintech SumUp. The company aims to make e-commerce easy and helps businesses create an online store in a few minutes. Shoplo’s ultimate platform helps businesses sell globally. Even after its acquisition, the company will help and supply people to turn their passion into reality.
Bol.com (Netherlands)
Founder: Daniel Ropers
Founded year: 1999
Why its hot: Bol.com is a leading online retailer in the Netherlands and Belgium. Initially, it was started as an online bookstore and progressed to deliver the best online shopping experience. Founded by Daniel Ropers, Bol.com delivers several products such as books, toys, gourmet, fondue, electronics, and more. It was acquired by Ahold back in 2012.
Flinders (Netherlands)
CEO: Geert-Jan Smits
Funding: €3.6 million
Founded year: 2010
Why its hot: Amsterdam-based furniture e-commerce startup Flinders is one of the fast-growing starts in Europe. Its growth is attributed to all channels such as online, physical store, and B2B sales. The other aspects include expansion in the sustainable and refurbished design and growth category in countries outside the Netherlands. Flinders aims to inspire and surprise customers with limited editions of design labels and exclusive pieces of furniture.
NA-KD (Sweden)
Founder: Jarno Vanhatapio
Funding: €91.7 million
Founded year: 2015
Why its hot: NA-KD is one of the fastest-growing fashion tech companies in Europe. Since its existence, the company creates the hottest fashion trends across the world that are used by celebrities. NA-KD is dedicated to breaking the practice and showing followers what it is like to be unique and stand out from the crowd. Notably, during Black Friday last year, NA-KD reported €23.5 million revenue.
Kazidomi (Belgium)
Founder: Alain Etienne
Funding: €1.1 million
Founded year: 2016
Why its hot: Belgium-based e-commerce startup Kazidomi is on a mission to make healthy products more affordable. It is an online personalised food market with a yearly membership system, which will reduce the cost of products by up to 50%. The customisable app shows products based on the customers’ preferences such as organic, nut-free, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, etc. in a convenient and quick way. This e-commerce platform has a wide range of products ranging from food to hygiene selected by health experts so that customers get the best.
Evocco (Ireland)
Founders: Hugh Weldon, Ahmad Mu’azzam
Founded year: 2017
Why its hot: Evocco operates with the mission to help buyers find the most nutritious food to cause the lowest environmental impact. Shoppers will be able to easily take a picture of the receipt, build a cart, and track progress over time to discover that it is easier to match beliefs with what they buy. The Irish startup Evocco provides all the tips and tricks that are needed to train buyers to embrace a more holistic and sustainable lifestyle.
Springlane (Germany)
Founders: Lars Christian Wilde, Marius Till Fritzsche
Funding: €21 million
Founded year: 2012
Why its hot: German marketplace Springlane creates and sells innovative kitchen as well as grilling products. Its magazine offers cooking tips and recipes. It focuses on the conscious and qualitative cooking and builds a community of foodies with superior quality content across cooking, grilling, and baking. It offers its own products including ice cream machines, mixers, pasta machines, pots, crockery, etc.
Main image picture credits: Coolblue
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