Utrecht-based Whoppah bags €5M for its marketplace for second-hand design & art

Utrecht-based Whoppah, a marketplace that offers furniture, art, lighting, coffee table books, and other home decoration products, announced on Thursday, October 27, that it has raised €5M in a fresh round of funding. The identity of the investors have not been disclosed.

In a LinkedIn post, Whoppah co-founder Evelien Bunnik-Remmelts says that the proceeds from this round will help the company to scale in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and prepare for expansion in Italy and France. “We will accelerate our mission to become the largest second-hand design platform in Europe and that brings me some much excitement!,” adds Bunnik-Remmelts.

A marketplace for secondhand design interior & art

Whoppah was founded in 2019 by entrepreneurial duo Thomas Bunnik and Evelien Bunnik-Remmelts with the aim of making beautiful secondhand and hand-made interior items easily available. By doing so, Whoppah stimulates reuse as a sustainable way of living.

Whoppah is the smart first-class marketplace for secondhand design interiors and art. With well-known brands such as Charles Eames, Artifort and Philippe Starck, users can find and sell special sculptures and paintings by various artists. Whoppah is also a marketplace for artists and companies such as vintage stores and international vintage dealers.

Bunnik-Remmelts says, “Over the last 3 years, Thomas Bunnik and I turned our dream into reality and although it’s never been an easy ride I’m so proud of where we are with Whoppah today. We saw an opportunity for a new type of marketplace. A first-class curated marketplace for design and art. A place where you easily find good quality design items for an even better second-hand price.” 

“We wanted to turn dusty second-hand shopping into a shiny and full-service experience making it super easy to buy circular. Because that’s what we need to do. The last 3 years proved to me there is no need to always buy new,” adds Bunnik-Remmelts.

What can you find on Whoppah?

Whoppah says users can find “unique” second-hand designs including furniture, lighting, art, and décor. The company’s experienced curation staff examines each item and also decides if a product complies with its curation guidelines. The authenticity of the brand, the item’s age, and its condition are all taken into consideration. This has several benefits, including the ability to locate “gorgeous” designs in one location and the assurance of high quality.

Here is a brief explanation of what a design item, vintage item or piece of art must meet:

Design: Whoppah believes, when an item is created by a well-known designer and is typically custom-made or manufactured to order, it fits under the category of design. The product is of a high calibre and is only produced in small quantities. The outcome is that the product has a lengthy lifespan and is sometimes referred to as “timeless”. On Whoppah, design names like Vitra, Cassina, Artifort, Leolux, Knoll, Pastoe, and Minotti are just a few examples.

Vintage & Antiques: Vintage items are designs made between 1920 and 1990. Items are antique when they are 100 years or older.
Art: Art includes items made by recognised artists: from paintings by Herman Brood to photography by Pim Westerweel.