Startup Trends: E-commerce Roll-Ups and the Rise of Thrasio Biz Model
Note: This Venturescale Trends report is part of the Startup Ideas & Trends Library, which covers topics such as 🤖AI SaaS, ✍️Creator Economy, 🔵Web3 Startups, and the 🚀Unbundling of the Internet.
The rise of e-commerce roll-ups
In the past, roll-ups were mainly proceeded by private equity firms, large conglomerates, and institutional buyers whereby companies acquire businesses in the same market and merging them under a single entity to scale.
Today, there are new companies that consolidate independent private label brands with decent revenue. They are the aggregators of e-commerce brands. Unlike marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers to acquire or sell off their brands (e.g. Flippa and Exchange Marketplace by Shopify), roll-up platforms are operational and resourceful. They:
- have a thesis around e-commerce product categories they want to acquire
- search across marketplaces like Amazon and Shopify
- find winners and merge these companies
- operate like a private equity firm, may fund and invest in buyout businesses
- platform-agnostic or vertical-focused
- grow them collectively using built-in technology, infrastructure, data analytics, operational expertise, capital, and economies of scale
- (📥 Full version) 3 more specific strategies on how aggregators operate and scale
Key players around the world
- Amazon-focused aggregators: Thrasio (made $100 million in profits, acquired more than 100+ brands), Heyday, Perch, and Branded
- Shopify aggregator: OpenStore
- Home living & consumer electronics roll-up: Berlin Brands Group
- Asia-Pacific focused consolidator: Una Brands (raised US$40 million) targets acquisition on Tokopedia, Lazada, Shopee, and Rakuten using a platform-agnostic approach by focusing on Shopify, Magento, or WooCommerce.
- (📥 Full version) 1 more company that focuses on the Amazon platform
- (📥 Full version) 5 more companies from emerging market
What problems do they solve?
- Not being able to find ideal buyers ➝ help sellers get acquired. Roll-up platforms help successful e-commerce merchants or direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands to exit their businesses lucratively.
- (📥 Full version) 3 more valid problems they are solving that actually make these platforms super profitable. You’ll also learn:
- how do roll-up platforms create values for their clients?
- what are the user pain points in getting a business acquired?
- how do they tackle complexities in selling off businesses?
Business models
Roll-up companies are running the business using a private-equity model. They act like collaborators, operators, and venture capitalists (VC) at the same time. For example:
- Thrasio acquires third-party sellers on Amazon focusing on everyday consumer brands, scale the business, and offer exit options for the sellers. In 2020, Thrasio profits $100 million on $500 million in revenues.
- Heyday provides tech stack, capital, advice, and insights to help consumer product brands accelerate the next level of growth.
- (📥 Full version) 2 more specific ways to monetize as e-commerce aggregators. You’ll also learn:
- different ways to partner with potential acquisition targets
- different ways to expand your roll-up portfolio
Why now?
As e-commerce entrepreneurship is exploding, there will be more successful independent merchants who will need to find a way to exit their brands. Here is the market potential snapshot:
- Growing numbers of independent sellers. In 2020, more than 50% of Amazon’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) was coming from third-party, independent sellers.
- (📥 Full version) 3 more market evidence in detail to help you answer the “why now” questions for your investors or partners. You’ll also learn:
- insight from Amazon financial statement
- impact of D2C brands
- insight from the emerging e-commerce markets and why there are untapped opportunities to monetize
Business opportunities
- (📥 Full version) 4 specific product ideas and business opportunities that are solving problems. You’ll unlock:
- one specific product idea in SaaS
- one vertical-focused roll-up platform idea
- a solution to help aggregators find the next acquisition winner
- specific business idea to participate in a roll-up partnership
Get the full access:
- 🔺 3 more specific strategies on how aggregators operate and scale
- 📝 6 more new market players
- 🧐 3 more valid problems they are solving that actually make these platforms super profitable
- 🖍 3 more market evidence in detail to help you answer the “why now” questions for your investors
- 🚀 4 specific product ideas and business opportunities that are solving problems
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