The online auction house Auctionata has completed its Series C financing round with a total new investment of €42 million. The round is led by stock-listed MCI Management from Warsaw. Auctionata also welcomes Hearst Ventures from New York, leading growth investor Kreos Capital from London and Yuan Capital from Hong Kong as new investors. All existing investors participated in the round.
Auctionata brings the world of unique works of art, antiques and luxury collectibles to the internet via its frequent live stream auction broadcasts from locations in Berlin and New York. The startup was launched by Alexander Zacke (CEO) and Georg Untersalmberger (CTO) in 2012 in a hotel room in Berlin. Today Auctionata operates globally with full-service locations in Berlin and New York, as well as offices in London, Zurich, Rome and Madrid. The young company recorded total net sales of €31.5 million in 2014, and €12.5 million in the first quarter of 2015.
In 2015, the core focus of Auctionata will be on sustainable growth. The funding will be used to further grow leading auction categories like Watches, Classic Cars, Wine, Jewellery, Design, Contemporary Art, Fine Art, Antiques and Asian Art, to prepare the launch of new categories such as Musical Instruments and Memorabilia, Architectural and Garden, Diamonds and Luxury Real Estate, as well as to further develop the live stream auction format and to grow their global seller and buyer base in general.
Auctionata’s founder and CEO Alexander Zacke explains: “Since the launch of the weekly live stream auctions in May 2013, Auctionata has grown considerably and has successfully positioned itself among the global leaders for online auctions of art, antiques and luxury collectibles. In the future Auctionata will focus on efficient growth and thereby lay the ground for both organic and non-organic category and geographic expansion.”
Sylwester Janik, Partner at MCI Management comments: “We are excited to back Auctionata’s ambitious growth plans. The company is an excellent example of what we look for in our investments: a disruptive business model combined with a high quality team and a leadership with strong industry experience.”
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