Million-euro investment for start-up company byrd
byrd, a start-up company in the logistics sector, offers software and a platform for logistics e-commerce, enabling online shops to outsource and control their entire logistics by just a few clicks on a web application. This allows them to focus on their core competencies and successfully expand their business. The company currently connects more than 100 online mail order companies with fulfillment centers and shipping providers in Germany and Austria.
After the Pre-Seed Investment round in July 2016, byrd technologies GmbH has now been able to get more investors on board, including Speedinvest x and Reflex Capital. This gives the company expertise in e-commerce and platform building. The cash injection is intended to accelerate the growth of byrd by opening new locations.
Among other things, the company benefits from flourishing online commerce in Europe, which is also being promoted by new EU regulations. In order to meet the requirements of growing customers and cross-border trade, the start-up company intends to develop from a professional online shop logistics provider, with specially operated fulfilment centres, into Europe’s first e-commerce logistics platform that cooperates with external partners.
Smaller online shops face the challenge of staying competitive among big, established e-commerce giants such as Zalando, Amazon or OTTO. “Customer expectations of e-commerce logistics are developing fast. However, it is unrealistic that every webshop builds its own logistics networks that can compete with the quality and speed of leading online mail order companies. Our vision is to build a network of fulfilment locations and shipping partners that gives online merchants access to a powerful logistics platform,” said co-founder Petra Dobrocka.
With its expanded business model, byrd can act as a central interface and connect online retailers and established fulfilment or shipping providers throughout Europe. The proximity to the end customer allows to quickly and efficiently deliver products ordered via internet. Cooperating with established partners with years of logistics experience allows the byrd team to focus on product development to further enhance the value of both, logistics providers and customers.
In spring, the company has relaunched its web application, which allows online retailers to easily outsource their entire logistics by just a few clicks. The online tool also has digital interfaces to shop systems such as Shopify or Shopware, as well as to online marketplaces, thus fully automating the dispatch of orders.
Cooperating with experienced logistics providers also enables byrd to flexibly expand into other countries. On the one hand, thanks to its international potential, countries such as France and Great Britain, which have highly developed online trading, but also larger markets such as the USA or Asia, could be future candidates. On the other hand, rapidly growing markets in Eastern Europe are also relevant.
