• The London-based SaaS retail technology platform powers digital in-store experiences for offline retailers  
• Mercaux will use the investment to accelerate its commercial international growth and enhance its technology
• Nauta Capital, a pan-European VC focused on capital-efficient software companies, leads the round

Mercaux, a retail technology company transforming the in-store retail experience, has today announced closing a £3.5M series A investment from Pan-European VC firm, Nauta Capital.

Founded in 2013, Mercaux enables the digital transformation of retailers’ physical stores by bringing powerful technology in-store and into the hands of salespeople. The company’s core technology enables large scale rapid deployment of rich digital functionality in the offline environment to drive better business performance, as well as creating a personalised customer experience.

Featuring a mobile sales assist application that allows real-time catalogue and inventor check, styling ideas and inspiration, access to customer profiles, as well as a data portal for the retailer’s HQ and a self-service kiosk, retailers benefit from a robust platform resulting in double-digit [8-15%] increase in store and online sales and increased sales people efficiency by 20%.

Tapping into the large-scale digital transformation of the retail industry estimated to be worth $4trn, Mercaux serves mid to large multichannel retailers across fashion, sport, and beauty segments. Since inception, the UK-based company has gained significant commercial traction with the likes of Karen Millen, French Connection, United Colors of Benetton, Nike and Under Armour as existing customers. Currently, Mercaux’s platform is used more than 100,000 times per day and deployed in more than 250+ stores around the world.

“Retailers understand the need to change and the urgency to do so, and are actively looking for tools and technologies that enable this change. Our objective is to be in the very centre of the in-store digital ecosystem, equipping retailers with the capabilities to prosper in the new era of digital retail.  

The new funding will be used to fuel our growth and expansion into new markets, as well as our R&D. As we continue to develop our product, we aim to deepen the competitive advantage that our modular and robust platform currently offers – strengthening both commercial and operational benefits we bring to our clients.”, CEO Olga Kotsur explains.

Leading the investment, Carles Ferrer, Nauta Capital’s London-based General Partner will be joining Mercaux’s board and will support the company’s growth plans. Commenting on the investment, Carles said:  

“We have been fans of Olga and Mercaux over the past years, as they have achieved a fantastic commercial traction by tackling a large industry in need of a transformative digital disruption. Within our broader SW approach, we have developed a very strong thesis around the massive transformation the retail industry is currently facing.  

Having led several deals within this space - both in the offline retail tech market and in the online- enabled technology retail vertical - we are building another fundamental block that supports our broader view of the space with Olga and Mercaux’s value proposition.”