KOALA.CH is an online shoe retailer based in Châtonnaye, Switzerland, co-founded in 2010 by Valentin Cogels and Matthias Fröhlich. The company offers a wide selection of nearly 800 models from about 60 brands, including Timberland, Reebok, Tamaris, Geox, HUB, Sorel, Nike, UGG and Aigle. KOALA.CH has a team of 11 employees and foresees a turnover of CHF1m in its first year of activity. It intends to use the newly raised capital to accelerate marketing investments and expand its product catalog. Management plans to double the number of brands and models within the next six months to drive growth. Koala.ch operates an online shoe store built on Magento and aims to capture the Swiss market for shoes, clothes and accessories. The founders, Valentin Cogels and Matthias Fröhlicher, are former senior eBay Europe executives. The team positions Switzerland as a niche market with above‑average revenues and protected borders from the rest of Europe. The company faces established European competitors such as Spartoo, Sarenza and Zalando but believes local focus offers an advantage. Koala.ch recently secured early funding to support its launch and growth plans. The site’s stated goal is to become the Zappos equivalent for Swiss consumers.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Nov 2011