Bristol tech firm Huboo has expanded its operations in Europe with the opening of a base in Germany.
The company, whose technology enables online retailers to access and complete end-to-end fulfilment operations, has added a new 10,000 sqm warehouse in Leipzig to its portfolio, which will create 250 local jobs.
Last year the business, which operates four warehouses in and around the Bristol area, opened its first two sites on the continent in The Netherlands and Spain, which combined have created more than 300 roles.
Launched by co-founders Martin Bysh and Paul Dodd from two secure storage rooms at a Safestore in Bath in 2017, Huboo recently announced the expansion of its head office in Bristol’s Old City after more than doubling its workforce over the previous year, with the firm’s overall headcount now around 630.
Huboo said it had seen "a boom" in recent months, as year-on-year revenue increased by 124% between January 2021 and January 2022. During that time the firm onboarded an average of more than 50 new customers each month, and increased warehouse space by 70% to more than 270,000 sq ft.
The company said it had grown from two employees, 60 customers and £20,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR), to more than 1,000 customers and £1.7m MRR in five years.
Mr Bysh, the company’s chief executive, said Huboo was "delighted" to continue its expansion plans despite Covid restrictions, market uncertainties and supply chain turbulence.
Mr Bysh said: “Germany’s retail sector is making a strong post-pandemic recovery and Leipzig, as the gateway to eastern Europe, is a bustling city with good strategic transport links to Berlin and other key areas within the country, meaning that it’s the ideal location for us."
“This is because it offers us access to the German market, continued growth and the chance to acquire new customers. For those reasons, it is excellently positioned to provide new opportunities for our existing customers and help them grow."
Huboo was identified in a Government report last year as one of three companies within Bristol’s burgeoning tech sector expected to attain a "unicorn" valuation of more than US$1bn over the coming years.
The company's branding is set to appear on the shirts of five of the city’s professional sports teams, including Bristol City Football Club and rugby side Bristol Bears, after it was unveiled by Bristol Sport as its new principal partner from the start of the 2022/23 season. It also recently agreed a multi-year e-commerce partnership with Bath Rugby.
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