Since the advent of the internet, the habits and consumption patterns of citizens have gradually changed thanks to the opportunities offered by the web. One of these transformations that is having the greatest impact today is the use of delivery platforms, such as CitiBox. A sector that has achieved great popularity in just a few years, to the point of contributing a total of 643 million euros to Spanish GDP last year, with a forecast to exceed 2,000 million euros by 2020.
About CitiBox
One of the Spanish companies operating in this segment is Citiboxdedicated to the installation of smart mailboxes in the communities to facilitate the delivery of orders.. In this way, couriers can drop off parcels even if the recipient is not at home, and the recipient is notified via the app with a unique code to open the parcel.
With the aim of increasing its network of smart mailboxes in Madrid and Barcelona, as well as to boost its international expansion, it has set up 11M€ in its Series A investment round. To this round investors, including Luis Miguel Gilpérez, former chairman of the board of directors of Telefónica Spain; Santiago Fernández Valbuena, former finance and strategy director of the Telefónica group; Richard Alden, former CEO of Ono; Bernardo Hernández, former director of Google; as well as Javier Rubió, well-known investor in digital projects or José Manuel Martínez, from Corporación HMS.
Other relevant transactions that have taken place in the sector include:
PAACK
Founded at the end of 2014, it is a company specialising in ultra-fast deliveries (menos de dos horas) y que presta sus servicios tanto a pequeños como grandes comerciantes, tales como El Corte Inglés, Decathlon o Mediamarkt.
Having raised a round of 6M€ last year, Paack has already initiated the first contacts with national and international funds in order to close a deal that would be in the region of 15M€. Already present in the main cities of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in other European cities, they plan to launch their services in Los Angeles and other cities in France and the United Kingdom.
HAPPY BOX
This Spanish startup provides a express courier service via its web platform or through the free mobile application. Already with around 250,000 orders per year, their plans are to continue increasing this figure as well as extending their range of operations to other Spanish cities.
Happy Box pasó su etapa de aceleración en el Andalucía Open Future, para poco después cerrar una exitosa ronda de financiación con un total de 53 inversores que tomaron el 16% del capital. Además, será pionera en el uso de robots autónomos para la entrega de paquetería, una forma de reparto en la que ya está trabajando.
