Now that we found out the secrets to launching a marketplace in Southeast Europe, it’s time to look at the startups and founders working to develop theirs in different verticals. From Romania to Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, and Serbia, we have rounded up solutions in verticals like health, beauty, sustainability, mobility, and HR, to name a few.
Marketplaces are more than an exchange of goods these days. They bridge people with services, but also mentors or users with similar interests. Amongst the solutions, discover platforms that connect patients with medical staff, mothers with classes to change their careers, and people with disabilities with the right part-time or full-time job.
If there are new names or updates you would like to share about the beginning of mapping of the SEE marketplaces, feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Emerging marketplaces in SEE
Beauty Marketplaces
Name: Mero
Country: Romania
Founders: Dragos Sebestin, Catalin Lupu, Andreea Trif, Elena Filip, Adrian Trif
Solution: Mero proposes an online platform for booking hair and beauty professionals.
Launch/funding: 2017/€500K
Name: Stailer
Country: Romania
Founder: Andrei Ursachi
Solution: Stailer offers a platform for booking beauty specialists from different saloons in the country.
Launch/funding: 2020/€2M
Name: Glow2Go
Country: Romania
Founders: Raluca Elena Enache, Daniela Padurariu
Solution: Glow2Go offers a platform for connecting beauty experts with potential clients and delivering services at their houses.
Launch/funding: 2020/€190K
EdTech Marketplaces
Name: CourseDot
Country: Bulgaria
Founder: Theodor Panayotov
Solution: CourseDot offers an online marketplace for IT training courses.
Launch/funding: 2015/€1.4M
Name: She is Mom
Country: Romania
Founders: Andreea Radu, Andreea Iacob, Daniela Enache, Nicoleta Neacsu, Alexandra Badea
Solution: She is MOM is building a platform for women that want to upgrade their skills or find mentors, and change careers.
Launch/funding: 2019/€100K
Circular Economy Marketplaces
Name: Spotawheel
Country: Greece
Founders: Charis Arvanitis, Kiriakos Agadakos
Solution: Spotawheel is a tech-driven platform that connects customers with the second car of their dreams.
Launch/funding: 2016/€120M
Name: Flip
Country: Romania
Founders: Alin Luca, Alex Burghelia, George Moroianu
Solution: Flip offers a circular economy platform for pre-owned phones.
Launch/funding: 2019/€8M
Name: NOLD
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Boryana Uzunova, Ana Kremenlieva
Solution: NOLD offers a P2P platform for pre-owned fashion items where users can sell and buy what no longer brings joy to their life.
Launch/funding: 2020/€100K
Name: Addit Tech
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Strahil Radovski, Ani Bachvarova, Assen Assenov, Ivaylo Petkov
Solution: Addit Tech is a platform where you can rent gadgets to test them out before you buy them, or you can also give them back and rent another one.
Launch/funding: 2020/€600K
Name: INKI
Country: Romania
Founder: Liviu Hulută
Solution: INKI proposes a device-on-demand service for companies that need to rent laptops or phones and other gadgets based on a monthly subscription.
Launch/funding: 2021/€200K
Name: Toboro
Country: Romania
Founders: Cosmin Cristea, Ana Chivu, Adina Teleuca
Solution: Toboro is developing a platform for renting or borrowing items like bicycles, dehydrators, or tents, for example, from somebody nearby to improve the sharing economy.
Launch/funding: 2021/€10K
Name: Malkisakrovishta.bg
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Stefka Stojanow
Solution: “Little Treasures” is a P2P circular economy platform for pre-loved children’s products. Parents can create a profile to upload items they want to sell, like clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, gadgets, toys, and books.
Launch/funding: 2022/Bootstrapping
Tech providers Marketplaces
Name: Softlead
Country: Romania
Founders: Alexandra Roata, Andrei Dumitrascu
Solution: Softlead is an IT marketplace targeting companies looking to compare, review, and choose the best software product for their business.
Launch/funding: 2013/€200K
Name: FlexCar
Country: Greece
Founders: George Desyllas, Konstantinos Davaris
Solution: FlexCar offers a platform that facilitates international automotive leasing.
Launch/funding: 2018/€290M
Name: ProfiCircle
Country: Romania
Founders: Cristian Gusa, Eduard Daniliuc
Solution: ProfiCircle is a B2B SaaS market network for people looking to buy storage and retail equipment.
Launch/funding: 2019/N/A
Marketing Marketplaces
Name: FameUP
Country: Romania
Founder: Ionut Patrascoiu
Solution: FameUP is an agency offering a platform with a network of influencers that brands can collaborate with for marketing purposes.
Launch/funding: 2020/€2.5M
Name: 2value
Country: Romania
Founder: Mihaela Raluca Tudor
Solution: 2value offers a platform and a mobile app to connect companies with journalists and get their stories across different media channels.
Launch/funding: 2021/€180K
Sustainability Solutions Marketplaces
Name: Charger
Country: Romania
Founders: Iulia Dorobantu, Cristian Danciu, Adrian Tutuianu, Aurel Basuc
Solution: Charger offers a sustainable mobility marketplace to buy technological equipment, like charging stations for cars or bikes.
Launch/funding: 2021/€30K
Name: NRGI.AI
Country: Romania
Founders: Andrei Ilas, Florin Grosu
Solution: NGRI AI offers a B2B energy marketplace powered by AI to get the best contracts for electrical consumption.
Launch/funding: 2021/€120K
Name: Bonapp.Eco
Country: Romania
Founder: Gregoire Vigroux
Solution: Bonapp.eco is an online platform and mobile app connecting retailers selling goods close to the expiration date with interested users.
Launch/funding: 2021/€800K
Health Marketplaces
Name: FindMeCure
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Ivaylo Yosifov, Maya Zlatanova, Miroslav Valchev
Solution: FindMeCure aims to bring medical research closer to patients by offering a platform that connects patients with treatments or clinical trials.
Launch/funding: 2015/€400K
Name: Healee
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Hristo Kosev, Josif Dishliev
Solution: Healee offers a digital platform connecting health professionals with users.
Launch/funding: 2016/€870K
Name: SanoPass
Country: Romania
Founders: Andrei Vasile, Delia Iliasa
Solution: SanoPass is a platform aiming to digitize preventive medicine by promoting different packages that B2B clients can choose from.
Launch/funding: 2018/€1.2M
Name: Beesers
Country: Romania
Founder: Ovidiu Tuduruta
Solution: Beesers offers a mobile app to connect patients with medical specialists that can do home visits.
Launch/funding: 2021/€500K
Marketplaces for Professionals
Name: Sibus
Country: Romania
Founder: Patrick Nordstjærne (Danish founder but local company and team)
Solution: Sibus offers an online marketplace that connects clients with accountants, auditors, and lawyers.
Launch/funding: 2014/€80K
Name: Vesselbot
Country: Greece
Founders: Athanasia Panagiotopoulou, Constantine Komodromos
Solution: Vesselbot offers a digital solution, amongst others, called VesselBot Marketplace to aid charter management – find collaborators, negotiate price, and conclude transactions.
Launch/funding: 2015/N/A
Name: Expert24
Country: Romania
Founder: Adrian Daniel
Solution: Expert24 is a demand-driven services marketplace connecting specialists with users from industries like events, health, and beauty, to name a few.
Launch/funding: 2019/€50K
Name: Helperz
Country: Romania
Founders: Ovidiu Stegari, Laura Bulai
Solution: Helperz is a service platform that connects people with the right sitters, be it for children, older people, or even pets.
Launch/funding: 2019/€100K
Name: MOMSI
Country: Romania
Founder: Ionut Turlea
Solution: MOMSI is a social app and marketplace for mothers that want to meet with similar women for play dates or find out about the right products and services.
Launch/funding: 2019/N/A
HRTech Marketplaces
Name: DEV.BG
Country: Bulgaria
Founder: Ivaylo Hristov
Solution: DEV.BG offers an HR marketplace that connects companies, jobs, and the perfect employees in Bulgaria.
Launch/funding: 2016/€250K
Name: Upshift
Country: North Macedonia
Founders: Steve Anevski, Alex Pantich, Nick Jordanovski
Solution: Upshift is a mobile-based HR marketplace to match temporary workers with open positions.
Launch/funding: 2016/€3.6M
Name: Brand Solution – Best Online Assistant
Country: North Macedonia
Founder: Elizabeta Jovanovska
Solution: Best Online Assistant is a digital platform that offers education for digital skills and a job board for people with disabilities.
Launch/funding: 2017/N/A
Name: JAMBA
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Joana Koleva
Solution: Jamba offers a platform for people with disabilities that want to grow their skills, and then connects them with potential employers.
Launch/funding: 2017/N/A
Name: Joberty
Country: Serbia
Founder: Nikola Mijailovic,
Solution: Joberty is a workplace community for developers that also offers a job marketplace to connect companies with their future team members.
Launch/funding: 2019/€350K
Name: Recrooit
Country: Serbia
Founder: Nevena Sofranic
Solution: Recrooit is a crowdsource-based recruitment platform that helps companies hire through community referrals.
Launch/funding: 2021/bootstrapped
PropTech Marketplaces
Name: Blueground
Country: Greece
Founders: Alexandros Chatzieleftheriou, Alexis Maragkos, Andreas Nezeritis, Aneesa Arshad, Kurtulus Korkmaz, Penny Papakonstantinou
Solution: Blueground is a platform that connects users with short-term or long-term pre-furnished rental apartments worldwide.
Launch/funding: 2013/€240M
Name: Milluu
Country: Romania
Founders: Florin Stoian
Solution: Milluu offers an online platform that connects real estate brokers with people searching to rent apartments.
Launch/funding: 2017/€1M
Name: Gaida
Country: Bulgaria
Founders: Galia Jordanova
Solution: Gaida AI is a platform that connects users with real estate leads from inquiry to deal.
Launch/funding: 2018/N/A
Name: Protio
Country: Greece
Founder: Antonios Fiorakis
Solution: Protio offers a platform to sell or invest in apartments.
Launch/funding: 2021/€2M
Retail Marketplace
Name: eBag.bg
Country: Bulgaria
Founder: Ivan Alexandrov
Solution: eBag offers a digital supermarket where users can browse and get products delivered right at their door.
Launch/funding: 2014/€700K
Name: PopMarket
Country: Greece
Founders: Nick Telecki, Takis Malavetas
Solution: PopMarket offers an online delivery platform for users looking to stock up on groceries with the goal of limiting food waste.
Launch/funding: 2021/€3.4M
The startups are listed based on the year of their launch.
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