Opontia is an e-commerce company founded in February 2021 by Philip Johnston and Manfred Meyer.[1][2]

Opontia
FoundedFebruary 2021; 3 years ago (2021-02)
Founders
  • Philip Johnston
  • Manfred Meyer
HeadquartersDubai, UAE
Area served
Central & Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
Key people
  • Philip Johnston (Co-CEO)
  • Manfred Meyer (Co-CEO)
Number of employees
100+ (2021)
Websiteopontia.com

History

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Opontia was co-founded by Manfred Meyer who was previously the CEO of Next Commerce, Chief Commercial Officer of Digikala in Iran, and Chief Marketplace Officer of Lazada.[3]

In June 2021, Opontia raised US$20 million in seed round from Global Founders Capital, Presight Capital, Raed Ventures and Kingsway Capital.[4] The company announced plans for brands in Egyptian, Turkish and Nigerian markets.[5][6]

In July 2021, Opontia acquired 100% of Novimed, a UAE company that produces consumer medical products.[7][8]

In August 2021, Opontia opened a new office in Turkey, then another office in October 2021 in Poland.[9][10][11]

In December 2021, Opontia raised US$42 million in equity and venture debt in a series A round,[12][13] making it the only newcomer in 2021 to be featured in the Forbes Middle East's 50 Most-Funded Startups being ranked 12th.[14]

Opontia buys and grows e-commerce brands in the CEEMEA (Central & Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). It is considered one of the first companies in the Middle East to raise venture debt.[15]

By the end of 2021 it had signed term sheets with 15 brands[16] and concluded a partnership with Aramex.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Opontia: Enabling e-commerce brands to go global". Wamda. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  2. ^ "مقابلة- فيليب جونستون | الشريك المؤسس والرئيس التنفيذي- OPONTIA". Now الشرق (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  3. ^ "E-ticaret platformlarındaki başarılı markalara yatırım yaparak onları satın alan "e-ticaret roll-up" firması: Opontia". Webrazzi (in Turkish). 2021-09-03. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  4. ^ "Dubai's Opontia raises $20 million seed to acquire and grow ecommerce brands in Middle East & Africa". MENAbytes. 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  5. ^ "Opontia raises $20M to roll up e-commerce brands in Africa and the Middle East". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  6. ^ "Gulf-based Opontia raises $20 mln for acquisitions". Reuters. 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  7. ^ Karam, Mark Anthony. "Opontia, UAE company that acquires e-commerce brands, adds NOVIMED to its portfolio". www.adsmehub.ae. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  8. ^ "Opontia acquiert la marque e-commerce de matériel médical Novimed". AITN (in French). 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  9. ^ "Opontia zainwestuje na polskim rynku ok. 100 mln zł do końca 2022 roku". Inwestycje.pl (in Polish). 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  10. ^ "Opontia wchodzi do Polski. Na przejęcia firm e-commerce chce wydać ponad 100 mln zł". Bankier.pl (in Polish). 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  11. ^ "Opontia wyda 100 mln zł na polskie e-sklepy. To początek jej konsolidacji e-commerce'u". pb.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  12. ^ East, Forbes Middle. "STV-Backed Opontia Raises $42M In Series A Round. Here's Why". Forbes ME. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  13. ^ "Opontia gets $42M to buy more e-commerce brands in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  14. ^ saim. "The Middle East's 50 Most-Funded Startups". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  15. ^ ""Doğru Yatırım Stratejileri ile Küresel Pazarlara Açılmak Mümkün"". hbrturkiye.com (in Turkish). 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  16. ^ "Dubai's Opontia plans expansion after securing $42m funding". Arabian Business. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
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