Opontia
| Founded | February 2021 |
|---|---|
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Dubai, UAE |
Area served | Middle East and Africa |
Key people |
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| Website | opontia |
Opontia is an e-commerce company founded in February 2021 by Manfred Meyer and Philip Johnston.[1][2]
History
Opontia was co-founded by Philip Johnston, who was working in investment banking in Singapore and venture capital in Africa before joining McKinsey & Company in Dubai as a consultant working on M&A and e-commerce strategy. Manfred Meyer was previously the CEO of Next Commerce, Chief Commercial Officer of Digikala in Iran, and Chief Marketplace Officer of Lazada.[3]
Opontia was established in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in February 2021 as a result of a funding gap for e-commerce founders in the Middle East.
In May 2021, Opontia opened a new office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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.
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.[14]
Early 2022, Opontia was counting 60 employees and 4 brands. It also signed term sheets with 15 brands[15] and concluded a partnership with Aramex.
References
- ^ "Opontia: Enabling e-commerce brands to go global". Wamda. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "مقابلة- فيليب جونستون | الشريك المؤسس والرئيس التنفيذي- OPONTIA". Now الشرق (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Opontia raises $20M to roll up e-commerce brands in Africa and the Middle East". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ Reuters (2021-06-07). "Gulf-based Opontia raises $20 mln for acquisitions". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Karam, Mark Anthony. "Opontia, UAE company that acquires e-commerce brands, adds NOVIMED to its portfolio". www.adsmehub.ae. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "Opontia acquiert la marque e-commerce de matériel médical Novimed". AITN (in French). 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "Opontia zainwestuje na polskim rynku ok. 100 mln zł do końca 2022 roku". Inwestycje.pl (in Polish). 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Opontia wyda 100 mln zł na polskie e-sklepy. To początek jej konsolidacji e-commerce'u". pb.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ East, Forbes Middle. "STV-Backed Opontia Raises $42M In Series A Round. Here's Why". Forbes ME. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "Opontia gets $42M to buy more e-commerce brands in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ ""Doğru Yatırım Stratejileri ile Küresel Pazarlara Açılmak Mümkün"". hbrturkiye.com (in Turkish). 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "Dubai's Opontia plans expansion after securing $42m funding". Arabian Business. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-28.