The FIEGE Company Builder, XPRESS Ventures invests in HomeRide, an online marketplace
XPRESS Ventures, the Company Builder by the logistics provider FIEGE, is backing the start-up, HomeRide. The technology facilitates a multi-shop buying experience including same-day delivery across a steadily growing network of retail partners.
XPRESS Ventures, the Company Builder by the logistics company FIEGE, has succeeded in securing pre-seed funding for the retail tech start-up, HomeRide. The young Cologne-based enterprise is designing a technology which is to premiere a multi-shop online buying experience across a range of retailers using a comprehensive infrastructure of products. Orders will be delivered on the same day within the preferred time window using an agile network of different last mile service providers. HomeRide taps existing warehouse and delivery structures only, thus manifesting an economically and ecologically sustainable retail platform for both renowned store chains as well as local brands.
Hendrik Lallensack, co-founder and COO of HomeRide, explains: “It is our goal to make inner cities available online. However, many retailers lack the required product and online reach. To counter this effect, we pool different players on our platform for a digital shopping experience which uses a progressive solution during an ongoing transformation phase. Our investors, led by XPRESS Ventures as well as the FIEGE Group with its multi-faceted support are the right partners to develop this further.”
Matthias Friese, Managing Partner at XPRESS Ventures, says: “Nowadays, on-demand defines the retail trade. We realise that the HomeRide team and its technology have the potential to think the delivery economy one step further. We are very excited about the opportunity to accompany their technological as well as operational development. Our experienced Ventures team in combination with access to the know-how and the customer base of the FIEGE Group will add crucial value to HomeRide’s journey.”
HomeRide currently features 30 partnering retailers, including MediaMarktSaturn, BUTLERS, SuperBioMarkt, and toom. The software displays prices, availability, and promotions of the affiliated retailers in real time, thus enabling a user-friendly shopping experience thanks to intelligent search algorithms. HomeRide customers thus have access to an inventory of more than one million items and can add completely different product categories to a single shopping basket. The app is currently online in the greater Cologne region. However, it is expected to be rolled out to other metropolitan regions over the year – and a Click&Collect option is also in the pipeline.
