Yaba, an aggregator company for digital-native brands that sell via Amazon, has just picked up €75 million in a funding round led by Crossbeam and Tikehau. Support also comes from investors such as 10x Founders, Bonsai, Village, JME and Inveready.
Founded in 2020 by Alejandro Fresneda, David Baratech, Rubén Ferreiro, Sergi de Pablos and Patxi Archanco, Yaba is dedicated to buying and selling companies with high potential in the Amazon universe. The aim is to accelerate the growth of these companies and increase the presence they have on Amazon and other marketplaces.
Yaba’s proprietary tech is what makes it stand out as an aggregator company and allows it to increase efficiency in every area of its business, from origination—where it has developed a proprietary tool allowing the company to identify thousands of potential targets that meet its investment criteria—to operations—where the company has used data collection to develop real-time dashboards which provide complete visibility into the day-to-day operations of its brands, as well as predictive models to aid decision making and action plans.
Yaba is able to improve stock management, optimize supply and professionalization, and increase investment in branding, marketing and online positioning. This is on top of improving product quality, packaging and international distribution.
The startup purchased 12 companies in its first year and plans to close the year with 30. Among other brands, YABA has acquired Banbaloo, a leading brand of bed guards for infants, and Superscandi, a leading Swedish brand of eco-friendly wiping cloths. The main focus is on companies operating in the home, sport and beauty sectors, as well as children and pet products. Yaba is pioneering the industry in Southern Europe, giving it a strong market potential of over 6 million sellers – a figure that will continue to increase.
Ali Hamed, General Partner at Crossbeam, said:“Yaba’s approach to online brand management is dual-focused, looking not only at how to acquire brands but also on growing and expanding them. With this holistic approach and the team’s experience in e-commerce and online brand management, Yaba is well-positioned to continue empowering digitally native brands to the next level in Europe and beyond.”
The company, which has a team of 40 people in Spain, Italy, France and Mexico will use this fresh capital to continue buying companies and consolidate their position as a market leader in Southern Europe. With an estimated 85% of active companies on Amazon being profitable, there are plenty of interesting opportunities for Yaba to come.
Yaba will also use the funds to grow the team and enter into other online marketplaces, including Lazada and Shopee.
David Baratech, co-founder and co-CEO of Yaba added: “We will use the capital injection to continue to buy brands in the verticals we are already in, as well as to expand into others that complement our brand holding. In this regard, we are considering acquisitions in categories such as outdoor, lighting, etc. By the end of this year, our objective is to incorporate around 15 new companies and thereby construct a portfolio of at least 30 brands.”
