Alkemics, a Paris-based platform that connects global retailers with suppliers large and small, has raised a €21 million Series C round led by Highland Europe, along with Index Ventures, SEB and Cathay Innovation.
Since raising €20 million in 2016, Alkemics has worked with the largest grocery retailers in France and the UK (including E.Leclerc, Intermarché, Casino, Tesco and Ocado) to digitise commercial processes such as product discovery, listing, and sales. The platform connects retailers to over 17,000 brands, from multinational suppliers such as Nestlé to small local producers. “Our aim is to make B2B business quick, easy and interactive. Any manufacturer should be able to put a product on the market as easily as if they were posting a message on a social network, and any store should be able to find the products that consumers are looking for by simply searching through an app” explained Antoine Durieux, co-founder and CEO of the retailtech startup.
“The last two months have demonstrated to everyone how retail technology is a critical part of our infrastructure,” says Tony Zappala, a partner at Highland Europe. In a press release, Alkemics reports “soaring demand” from grocers and suppliers, who are responding to the COVID-induced shift to omnichannel shopping.
“As things start to return to normal, retailers and suppliers will want to continue with this new digitized collaboration through the platform, which has helped to increase their productivity as well as ensuring that the shopper has all the information they need to make an informed purchase,” Zappala added.
Founded in 2011, the French startup will use the new funding to launch in other European markets, beginning with Germany, Benelux and Scandinavia.
Photo: Co-founder and CEO Antoine Durieux
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