In a significant move for the European e-commerce logistics market, Austrian Post has signed an agreement to acquire a 70% stake in Bulgarian-founded euShipments.com. This acquisition comes after years of rapid growth for the logistics provider, which attracted investment from BlackPeak Capital in 2022 to fuel its expansion across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Southeastern Europe (SEE). As a founder who bootstrapped her own startups, I find this a fascinating case of scaling through strategic partnerships and timely exits.
Let's unpack what this acquisition means for entrepreneurs, especially female founders navigating similar markets.
Why Austrian Post Invested in euShipments.com
euShipments.com, founded in 2012 in Ruse, Bulgaria, grew from a small operation into a leading provider of cross-border delivery and fulfillment services in the region. Serving over 1,300 clients, the company integrates more than 60 last-mile courier services and 15 fulfillment centers under one contract, offering 800+ delivery methods. This streamlined model supports e-commerce businesses in managing complex logistics needs.
Austrian Post’s acquisition aligns with its goal to expand its e-commerce logistics capabilities beyond its domestic base. With this deal, Austrian Post strengthens its footprint in the fast-growing markets of SEE, CEE, and Turkey. It also gains a strategic advantage by entering into euShipments’ established network and leveraging its deep regional expertise.
For female founders, this deal illustrates how building a scalable, region-specific operation can attract larger market players. Identifying and solving specific pain points, like the fragmented logistics landscape in SEE, can position a business as an acquisition target.
Numbers Paint the Picture
The acquisition values the 70% stake at approximately €55 million, with euShipments expected to generate close to €50 million in revenue by the end of 2025. Austrian Post retains an option to acquire the remaining 30% within four years.
Revenue milestones like these should inspire entrepreneurs who think market constraints could cap their growth. Companies that focus on solving local problems with scalable solutions, like euShipments did with its "one-contract, one-integration" logistics model, can unlock lucrative opportunities even in regions with challenging infrastructure.
BlackPeak Capital, which invested €7.5 million in euShipments to fuel its growth, made a strategic exit through this acquisition. Private equity involvement not only enabled the company to grow but also helped structure its operations in a way that would appeal to potential buyers.
Lessons for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe
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Timing Growth Funding Strategically:
BlackPeak’s involvement demonstrates how external funding, when used wisely, can enhance scalability. For bootstrapped founders, this is a reminder of the importance of timing when bringing investors into the mix. Know when your business needs that extra push to scale, and ensure you can provide the metrics that will attract the right backers. -
Focus on Local Expertise:
By connecting local fulfillment centers and couriers through a single interface, euShipments delivered a critical service to online retailers expanding in the region. As entrepreneurs, deeply understanding your market and its pain points paves the way for product-market fit. -
Have an Exit Strategy:
One of the most overlooked aspects of entrepreneurship, especially among startup founders, is planning for the endgame. Are you building to sustain operations indefinitely, or are you steering toward an acquisition? Starting with this clarity can inform your decisions on fundraising, partnerships, and resource allocation. -
Regional Focus vs. Global Scale:
Many founders mistakenly believe that bigger markets automatically translate to bigger opportunities. Instead, focusing on underserved regional markets and building a dominant position there, like euShipments did for SEE, can deliver outsized returns.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Scaling Too Soon:
Expanding before refining operations can result in service inconsistencies. euShipments scaled its network only after establishing effective processes rooted in local expertise. -
Ignoring Local Collaboration:
The company capitalized on strategic partnerships with local courier services, proving that collaboration often works better than starting from scratch. -
Lack of Exit Preparation:
A large part of making your company acquisition-ready lies in showing clear profitability and prepared funding documentation. Start planning this path early.
How This Deal Reflects Market Trends
E-commerce logistics in Europe is hotter than ever. Cross-border trade and online shopping are growing fast, particularly in emerging markets like CEE and SEE. Companies like euShipments represent solutions to challenges such as differing regulations, shipping costs, and the need for seamless delivery tracking across multiple countries.
What firmly places euShipments on the map is its productized service. Leveraging just one integration for hundreds of delivery methods not only saves clients’ time; it helps them focus on their own growth.
Female founders, particularly in tech or logistics, should see this as an opportunity to carve out niches in emerging markets. Whether it’s managing fragmented logistics or building software solutions to overcome similar barriers, the potential is boundless.
How You Can Apply These Insights
If you’re a startup founder in logistics, retail, or tech, use these actionable steps to emulate some of these lessons:
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Research Pain Points: Dive deep into your target market. Find specific, often overlooked gaps. Whether it's operational inefficiencies, fragmentations, or high costs, solutions to such issues can be drivers for exponential growth.
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Strengthen Regional Expertise: Build your brand locally before looking outward. Even as an entrepreneur in the Netherlands, I learned that validating proof of concept locally can create the structures needed to scale regionally or globally.
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Develop Sellable Features: Think from a buyer’s perspective. Ask yourself: If a larger company were to acquire me, what would they be purchasing? Tangible features like technology, supply chains, or IP add value.
Final Thoughts
This acquisition emphasizes that even businesses born in small regional markets can make waves. For me as a game-focused entrepreneur building tools that tackle practical business challenges, the story resonates deeply. It proves how thoughtful execution combined with strategic scaling can lead to extraordinary outcomes.
What’s holding you back from unlocking your next step? If it’s access to learning tools, collaboration opportunities, or community support, start engaging with platforms like The Recursive or my own Fe/male Switch to build the skills and network necessary for growth.
Every business has bridges to cross; perhaps your future lies in creating one that others will want to acquire.
FAQ
1. What is the Austrian Post's acquisition of euShipments.com about?
Austrian Post has entered into an agreement to acquire a 70% stake in euShipments.com, a Bulgarian-founded logistics company specializing in integrated cross-border e-commerce solutions in Central and Southeastern Europe. Read more about the acquisition on The Recursive
2. How much is Austrian Post paying for euShipments?
The deal is valued at approximately €55 million for the 70% stake, with the option for Austrian Post to buy the remaining 30% within four years. Explore the details on Finanzwire
3. Why is Austrian Post acquiring euShipments.com?
This acquisition will strengthen Austrian Post's e-commerce logistics footprint in the fast-growing Central and Southeastern European markets and aligns with its "LEAD 2030" strategy. Learn more about their strategy on EQS News
4. What does euShipments.com specialize in?
euShipments.com provides cross-border delivery and fulfillment services through a streamlined system that integrates 60+ courier services and 15 fulfillment centers under one contract. It supports 1,300 clients with over 800 delivery methods. Learn more about the firm on The Recursive
5. What is BlackPeak Capital's role in this acquisition?
BlackPeak Capital, which invested €7.5 million into euShipments.com in 2022 for growth funding, is making a strategic exit with this deal. Check out BlackPeak Capital's involvement on Post & Parcel
6. What are euShipments.com's growth projections?
The company is forecasted to earn €50 million in revenue by 2025, reflecting its robust growth in e-commerce logistics across Southeast Europe. Read about their financial goals on EQS News
7. When will the acquisition be finalized?
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in Q1 2026. Learn about the transaction timeline on Finanzwire
8. How does euShipments.com's operation benefit e-commerce businesses?
Its "one-contract, one-integration" model simplifies and streamlines cross-border and domestic logistics for businesses, offering advanced delivery and fulfillment solutions. Discover their business model on Leads on Trees
9. Will the founders of euShipments remain involved post-acquisition?
Yes, the company's founders, Svetlozar Dimitrov and Lora Dimitrova, will retain a minority share and continue to contribute to its growth under Austrian Post's ownership.
10. What are the broader market trends highlighted by this deal?
The acquisition reflects growing cross-border e-commerce and logistics consolidation in CEE/SEE markets, driven by increasing demand for scalable and regionally specialized supply chains. Expand on market trends via The Recursive
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
