An online marketplace for completely renewed branded devices that are offered with guaranteed and up to 40 percent cheaper, is the business idea of the 2017 founded Austrian-German green-tech startup Refurbed. This idea has now also convinced an international investment team around Inventure Partners and Atomico, a company of “Skype” founder Niklas Zennström.
2 million euros
In a “seed investment”, ie a second investment round, a total of two million euros were collected for Refurbed. “The 2 million euros are among the largest seed investments that have ever existed in Austria. The investment helps us to further strengthen our market position and to further develop the product, “explains Refurbed co-founder Peter Windischhofer. Kilian Kaminski adds: “Investment is another step in making sustainable shopping across Europe as easy as possible. Every refurbed device – whether iPhone, laptop or food processor – looks like new and works like new. Normally, sustainable products are more expensive, but they are up to 40% cheaper and 100% sustainable”.
Over 30,000 customers
The business model not only convinced the investment team around the Skype founder, but also already more than 30,000 customers. In addition, sales and the number of employees have increased tenfold within one year. Meanwhile, 30 employees are working to make the e-commerce platform better and better known.
Fight against throwaway society
The big goal of the founders is according to own data sustainable consumption in Europe affordable and as simple as possible. The disposable society and global warming should be opposed to an alternative. Especially in Germany, this approach has boosted sales massively. 70 percent of the sales took place there.