A German software and logistics company has announced plans to expand into the UK by launching a base in Birmingham.
Munich-based Alaiko specialises in fulfilment services by handling logistics for direct-to-consumer online businesses.
It is now planning to create 120 new jobs, including a significant R&D function in the city, and a further 80 at a warehouse in Milton Keynes over the next three years.
Alaiko is currently recruiting for the roles and is in contract negotiations about a new office in Birmingham, the location of which has not yet been disclosed.
This will be the company's first international expansion after it was founded in 2020 and last year received around £25 million in funding from a mix of industry and international investors.
It said it was hoping the expansion into the UK would particularly help small companies grow their own e-commerce operations by providing software and logistics support and streamlining their sales experience.
It will also enable more European e-commerce companies to invest and export to the UK through lower transport costs and reduced delivery times.
The UK Department for Business and Trade has been supporting Alaiko by providing it with a range of services including access to research and industry reports and connecting it with networks.
Minister for Investment Dominic Johnson, who visited the company's premises in Munich to mark the launch of its UK expansion, said: "As the UK's second largest trading partner worldwide and our biggest European investor, we have made it a priority to strengthen our economic links with Germany.
"Reinforcing this important partnership will mean a greater number of tech companies like Alaiko are welcomed to the UK with open arms, boosting growth and creating the high-value jobs that are essential to level up the UK."
