• Auctionata

  Participated · Series C · Mar 2015

  Auctionata operates an online auction platform that livestreams auctions of art and luxury collectibles, enabling global bidders to tune into the hall and bid via its website or mobile app. The company auctions items across categories including contemporary and fine art, antiques, Asian art, watches, wine, vintage luxury goods and classic cars, and leverages patented real-time streaming technology. In 2015 Auctionata reported a Gross Merchandise Volume of €81m, a 165% increase versus the prior year, with around 76% of GMV generated from livestream auctions and 24% from fixed‑price sales. Nearly 80% of GMV was realized through the Berlin office, with the remainder from New York City and London; the strongest turnover categories were Watches (25%), Classic Cars (23%) and Fine Art (22%). The company sold about 16,000 items in 2015, held 249 auctions (44 broadcast live from New York), recorded more than 100,000 bids totaling €483m, and reported net commission revenue of €21m versus €6m in 2014. Auctionata operates a live-streamed auction platform for fine art, antiques and luxury collectibles, running weekly live auctions since May 2013. The company combines online streaming with an expert-driven vetting process, calling on about 300 experts across 40 countries. It maintains full offices in Berlin and New York and smaller offices in London, Zürich, Rome and Madrid. Auctionata plans to expand into new geographies and new categories, and to invest further in the technology behind its live-stream format. New auction areas it intends to add include musical instruments, memorabilia, architectural and garden pieces, diamonds and real estate, while continuing investments in watches, classic cars, wine, jewelry, design, contemporary art, fine art, antiques and Asian art. In 2014 the company reported net sales of €31.5 million and posted €12.5 million in net sales in the first quarter of 2015. Auctionata operates an online platform for art, antiques and collectibles, broadcasting live auctions in HD to computers, tablets and mobile devices and providing valuation and auction-house services. Its categories include Old Masters, modern and contemporary art, porcelain, silver, antiques, design, photography, jewelry, watches, wine, Islamic and Asian art, textiles, books and manuscripts. The company leverages a global network of 250 experts to provide free valuations and has conducted 17 online live auctions in 2014 with total net turnover of €4.6m. Auctionata reports 75,000 customers from over 100 countries and about 500,000 website visitors per month. It employs over 100 people across offices in Berlin and New York. The company intends to use the new funding to expand globally. Auctionata is a Berlin-based online fine art auction house that brings the services of a traditional auction house to the internet. It broadcasts live auctions in TV quality to computers, tablets and mobile devices. The company operates a global network of 250 experts who provide free valuations for art, antiques, collectibles and luxury vintage items. Founded one year ago by Alexander Zacke and Georg Untersalmberger, Auctionata also maintains a New York office and employs about 100 people. The company recently raised $20.2M in funding and previously secured a $2.5M round from Bright Capital Digital in 2012. Auctionata, founded in 2011, operates an online auction platform focused on antiquarian items and collectibles. It offers a patented real-time bidding system run by international experts, state-licensed auctioneers and experienced professionals. The platform enables users to bid on and sell items such as diamond rings, works of art, furniture and rare stamps. Sellers can list via weekly auctions (every Friday at 6pm CET), special themed auctions, or a sales gallery offering expert-priced fixed listings. Experts provide valuations and professional photography for auction catalogues. Financially, the company has raised $2.5M from Bright Capital Digital and is also backed by e.ventures and Holtzbrinck Ventures; the company is currently hiring.

• Helpling

  Led · Series B · Mar 2015

  Helpling is a Rocket Internet–founded home‑services marketplace that connects customers with cleaners and other household service providers via its app. The company sells both on‑demand bookings and is exploring subscription‑based commerce and affiliate revenue models for its service providers. Helpling says it is continuing its "path to profitability" and previously disclosed €10 million in new funding in March. Over the next 12 months it plans to roll out additional household services internationally and invest in technological product development to increase platform automation. Helpling is working with Unilever on co‑branded marketing, content development and in‑store promotions, and is exploring using cleaners’ knowledge to help Unilever reach Helpling’s customers. Management has emphasized retaining and motivating quality cleaners as a key priority for the supply side of the marketplace. Helpling operates an online marketplace that lets consumers book a range of home services, with home cleaning as its entry vertical. The company has expanded its offering beyond cleaning to additional household services such as window cleaning, furniture assembly and paint work across 20 German cities. Helpling says more than 85% of its business comes from long-term customers who require weekly or bi-weekly cleaning, and its core markets became profitable during the Summer. Management plans to double down on the best user-acquisition channels and cross-sell additional services to convert more customers into repeat business. The company raised new funding to enable it to reach profitability within the next year. Mangrove Capital Partners said Helpling dominates the home cleaning sector in Europe. Helpling operates a two-sided marketplace that connects people seeking home cleaning with vetted cleaners and uses a rating algorithm to surface top providers. The service debuted in Berlin in March 2014 and has expanded to roughly 200 cities across Europe and elsewhere. Helpling cites more than 50,000 customers to date, while noting the vast majority of jobs are concentrated in its top 20 cities. The company says its marketplace is only profitable at scale and that repeat bookings drive the real revenue. Helpling centralizes cleaner recruitment and vetting to enable rapid expansion and relies on customer ratings for quality control. Management plans to use new funding to continue scaling operations and entering additional markets. Helpling is a Rocket Internet-backed cleaners-on-demand marketplace that connects vetted cleaners with customers. Launched in Berlin in March this year, the company says it is active in over 150 cities across eight markets in Europe and Latin America. Helpling does not disclose customer or cleaner counts and has not shared financial metrics. It establishes local offices with small teams and vets cleaners through a multistep process including interviews, cleaning tests, document submissions and references. The sector is crowded with competitors such as HomeJoy, Housekeep, Mopp/Handy, Hassle and TaskRabbit. Helpling says it aims to expand access to home cleaning via flexible, convenient and secure services, though it has not specified how the new funding will be used.

• Delivery Hero

  Led · Equity · Sep 2014

  Delivery Hero is a Berlin-based local delivery platform. The company announced a €1.4 billion debt financing package to bolster its long-term liquidity position. Management says the capital will be used for general corporate purposes, including potential refinancing of convertible debt at maturity, working capital and guarantees. CEO and co‑founder Niklas Östberg stated the transaction demonstrates Delivery Hero’s ability to access various funding sources and supports a diversified capital structure that provides financial flexibility. The company has been reshaping its portfolio recently, including selling its stake in Latin‑America’s Rappi and increasing its stake in Spain’s Glovo during 2021. Delivery Hero says the financing supports its objective of delivering superior growth while approaching group‑level profitability. Delivery Hero operates an online food ordering and delivery marketplace used by over 150,000 restaurants across more than 40 countries. The company processed 171 million orders in 2016, a 65% increase year over year. Growth was bolstered in part by a merger with a major online takeout rival late last year. Delivery Hero has raised significant capital to fund expansion and operational scaling, bringing total capital raised to at least $1.4 billion. Management and investors are publicly discussing the potential for an initial public offering as the company continues to expand its global footprint. Delivery Hero operates an online food-ordering platform and processes orders across a portfolio of regional brands, including the premium delivery brand Foodora. The company reported 83 million processed orders in H1 2016 and said its core business was already operating profitably while continuing heavy investment in Foodora. Orders grew organically by 45% year-over-year in H1 2016, with July showing 55% organic year-over-year growth; revenues for the first half of 2016 grew by 53%. Amid reports of financial strain, Delivery Hero said it had raised additional capital on very good terms and the group maintains a positive growth outlook driven by strong positions in attractive regions such as Turkey (Yemeksepeti). CEO Niklas Östberg indicated the company might be ready for an IPO in early 2017. Founded in 2011 and based in Berlin, Delivery Hero is active in 33 countries. Delivery Hero operates an online takeout and delivery platform with a network of 200,000 restaurants across 34 countries. It processes roughly 10 million orders per month and generates about $165 million in monthly sales for its restaurant network. The company has grown rapidly through acquisitions, including Yemeksepeti for $589 million and Pizza.de, and continues to pursue regional consolidation. Delivery Hero says it will use its latest financing for selective acquisitions and intensive product innovation. Management has signaled interest in expanding beyond online takeout into adjacent food categories such as meal kits, grocery delivery, or high-end restaurant delivery. Delivery Hero is a global network of online ordering platforms for food, providing ordering capability for more than 90,000 partner restaurants in 24 countries. It is market leader in 19 of those countries and its restaurant partners generate more than €1 billion in annual sales via online orders or mobile applications. The network delivers more than 12 million meals every month and employs over 1,500 people, including 500 at its Berlin headquarters. Delivery Hero plans to use the recently announced financing primarily to expand its position as a technology leader and to build its long-term vision to transform the food delivery industry. The company says it aims to improve transparency, quality, convenience, and speed as part of that vision. Delivery Hero and the online food ordering entities within Rocket Internet will continue to operate separately while cooperating closely across many functions.

• Plated

  Participated · Series A · Aug 2014

  Plated delivers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes each week, letting users choose from a rotating menu of meals. The company, launched in 2012, positions itself as a premium meal-kit player with more than 1,000 unique recipes and a broad range of options, with prices typically ranging from $12 to $30 per meal. Plated emphasizes sustainability in sourcing and logistics, including domestically and sustainably farmed seafood from Sea To Table and an insulation method that cut per-box carbon emissions by 95% (from 4.5 lbs CO2 to 0.25 lbs). It has invested in a native iOS app (live for five months) and plans to invest further in 'choice mechanics' to expand vegetarian options and more challenging recipes for cooks. The company faces stiff competition from players like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, which are shipping millions of meals per month. Plated has 400 employees and has raised $56.4 million in funding to date. Plated (Dine In Fresh Inc.) produces chef-curated meal kits that deliver fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and recipes directly to customers. Consumers choose from meat, fish and vegetarian dishes from a weekly menu developed by featured chefs. The service emphasizes convenience and culinary variety, aiming to simplify home cooking for inexperienced cooks. Plated sources and portions fresh ingredients and ships them so meals arrive ready to cook at customers' doorsteps. The article reports the company raised $15 million in a Series A round. Plated delivers pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes so customers can cook chef-designed meals at home. The service offers a weekly menu of seven chef-prepared meals and includes a list of delivered ingredients, pantry items needed, and caloric information. Customers choose meals and a delivery date and pay $15 a la carte per plate or buy a membership at $10 per month or $8 per year. The company says it delivers to 80 percent of the continental U.S. and is headquartered in New York. Plated’s customer base is described as predominantly dual-income families mostly without children. The company announced a $5 million first round of funding led by ff Venture Capital with participation from Lerer Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Founder Collective, and angels. Plated compiles gourmet recipes from noted chefs and delivers all pre-portioned ingredients — from cut meat and chopped produce to spices — directly to customers' doors. The service charges $14–$15 per plate for non-members and $10–$12 per plate for members. Since launching in late 2012 Plated has delivered “tens of thousands” of meals and currently serves the U.S. Eastern seaboard from Virginia to New Hampshire, covering about 52 million people. Founded in 2012 by Harvard Business School alums Nick Taranto and Josh Hix, the company operates out of Manhattan’s TechStars incubator and has 15 full-time employees. Plated recently launched Social Recipe Pages to add a social layer where customers can share photos and cooking tips. The startup raised seed funding to support delivery-area expansion, product development and team growth.

• Merchantry

  Led · Series B · May 2013

  Merchantry provides retailers and media organizations with an eCommerce SaaS solution that enables them to build and launch online marketplaces. The platform allows customers to launch a marketplace, sell on it, and onboard new products. Led by CEO Rick Watson, the company operates from New York and maintains a regional office in London. Merchantry employs 110 people. The company raised $7M in a Series B financing and intends to use the funds to expand its sales team and grow its client base across the U.S. and Europe.

No current team members are available.