eCommerce shipping platform Sendcloud is plotting expansion in the UK after raising £127 million in fresh funding.
The Series C financing was led by Softbank’s Vision Fund 2, with a significant strategic investment from L Catterton and participation from HPE Growth.
Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and co-founder of the all-in-one shipping platform – headquartered in Eindhoven in the Netherlands – told BusinessCloud that there are plans in place to grow the UK team to 60 after launching here a year ago.
“We are full speed ahead with the investment in the growth of the business and our platform in the UK,” he said. “Not only are we investing heavily in the ongoing development of our platform to guarantee a good product-marketing fit, but we’re also trying to scale up our sales and marketing team quickly as the UK market evolves.
“Currently we have a UK team of almost 15 sales people and three marketeers, with a plan to double the UK team by 2022 and ultimately grow to a 60-man team by 2024.”
Sendcloud helps online businesses fully optimise their shipping process while delivering an improved end-shopper experience. The platform is trusted by 23,000 merchants – including Gelato, Rosefield, Shoeby and Subdued – offering them a multi-carrier platform that simplifies flexible delivery.
For example, in the UK it has connected up carriers such as Royal Mail and Hermes.
“At a time when consumers around the world want to decide where, when and how they want to receive a parcel, leading online merchants depend on Sendcloud to fuel their logistics process,” said Van den Heuvel.
“To engage consumers in the long term and successfully process growing parcel volumes, a multi-carrier solution like Sendcloud is essential, and we are proud to partner with Softbank and L Catterton and embark on a new chapter of growth for our business.”
Sendcloud directly manages shipments with all major European carriers, offering a wide range of shipping methods, including cross-border shipping, delivery in parcel lockers, same-day delivery, and even delivery during a day and time slot of choice.
Additionally, the company offers access to over 400,000 service points across Europe, enabling customers to pick up their parcel at their most preferred parcel shop. Sendcloud’s technology transforms eCommerce logistics by replacing multiple APIs with a single solution.
Secrets of building a tech start-up to be revealed at Manchester event
“The United Kingdom is Europe’s number one eCommerce market, worth over €200 billion annually, so if you want to compete on a large scale as an online store it is absolutely crucial that you get a foothold in the UK,” explained Van den Heuvel on the UK plans.
“We see endless opportunities here – on the one hand, there are a ton of online retailers we can help to optimise their shipping process, especially now retailers must deal with the red tape of Brexit.
“On the other hand, the UK is also a strategic market for us, as we know there is still a great need for European online retailers to trade with the UK – our solution helps them to do just that.”
Sendcloud currently has 400 employees and plans to hire another 250 globally in the next 12 months.
As part of this funding round, Neil Cunha-Gomes and Monika Wilk, both Investors at Softbank Investment Advisers, will join the company’s board of directors alongside L Catterton’s Ido Krakowsky.