After just one year, the startup operates on two continents, employs 15 people in four countries, and is preparing for even faster growth.
While Croatian politicians are struggling what to do with Uber, local entrepreneur Stevica Kuharski has applied the same business model to the delivery of packages and has created one of the fastest-growing Croatian startups. Locodels began operating in Zagreb in July 2015, and in its first year of operation it generated a turnover of a million kuna. If it continues to grow at this rate, in 2017 Locodels will against achieve turnover in millions, but this time in millions of euros, reports Poslovni.hr on January 9, 2017.
Kuharski said that his new startup Locodels already had several subsidiaries abroad and that the plan for this year was rapid expansion in the European Union and the MENA region, which includes the Middle East and North Africa. “Our plan is to launch Locodels in additional eight cities in the EU and ten in the MENA region by June. We are working on cities which are six to eight hours drive from Zagreb when we talk about the EU, and about cities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates”, said Kuharski.
He added that in 2016 Locodels was active in Croatia and Saudi Arabia. In Zagreb, last year it achieved a turnover of 400,000 kuna, while the rest was achieved mainly in Jeddah, the largest Saudi port on the Red Sea coast, which is the most important traffic junction to the nearby Mecca.
“We have been growing fast since April, and we are especially glad that we have been recognized by leading players in certain segments of the market, which is a confirmation that we are on the right track”, said Kuharski. Croatian “Uber for delivery” grew in just one year to 15 employees. Seven of them work in Croatia, four in Saudi Arabia, two in Bratislava in Slovakia, and two in Vienna in Austria.
“In autumn of last year we received an investment which was necessary for the expansion that we are planning to implement by June this year, but I cannot disclose the amount of the investment or our valuation. However, these figures are considerably higher than in the vast majority of regional startups”, said Kuharski.
Kuharski added that services providers for Locodels were mostly courier companies registered as entrepreneurs for transport of goods and people in Croatia, which possess all necessary permits. “Individuals can register as well, but we see that they are not quick enough in taking orders”, explained Kuharski. Locodels is already preparing for the second round of investment. “By then, we will already be present in a dozen cities”, concluded Kuharski.
