Berlin expansion a ‘stepping stone’ to global growth for digital marketplace Trouva

Trouva, a digital marketplace for boutique bricks-and-mortar retailers, is expanding overseas.

The Islington-based company has announced a move to connect UK shoppers with a raft of boutique stores in Berlin.

Trouva launched this morning (June 18) in the German capital with 20 independent shops, including The Amazing Crocodile Design Store, Type Hype and Moeon.

The firm’s online platform is aiming to give bricks-and-mortar independents the opportunity to sell online, from their own premises, and compete with retail multiples and e-commerce giants.

Trouva’s CEO and co-founder, Mandeep Singh, said the expansion signals “an incredible time for growth” for the company, which recently closed a $10m Series A funding round led by BGF Ventures alongside Index Ventures and Octopus Ventures.

Mandeep said the investment “has quickly led to our expansion into Berlin as the first stepping stone in our mission to unite the world’s greatest independent shops on our platform”.

He continued: “Our customers will for the first time be able to defy the boundaries thrown up by geography, browsing and buying from these incredible stores no matter where they are, and get their purchases delivered to them quickly and seamlessly. At the same time, through click and collect, we’re driving our boutique-loving customers into the shops themselves.”