Scalefast

We first met Nicolas Stehle, Frédéric Bocquet, and Olivier Schott in 2018. Their vision to transform how brands sell directly to consumers immediately stood out. As seasoned entrepreneurs and technologists, the Scalefast founders understood the complexities of running direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations across borders, and saw an opportunity to eliminate them.

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Scalefast was built to give brands a better way: a turnkey global e-commerce platform that handles the entire DTC channel, from localisation and logistics to payments, tax compliance, analytics, and customer service.

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This model enabled brands to focus on developing exceptional products, while Scalefast handled the complexity of selling them worldwide.

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From bold idea to global execution

Adara Ventures invested in Scalefast’s Series A in 2018 and again in its Series B in 2020, backing the team’s vision of creating a global platform from day one.

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While Frédéric established the company’s European headquarters and engineering teams in Madrid, Nicolas and Olivier expanded operations to Los Angeles, successfully positioning Scalefast across two continents.

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The company grew to a team of 350+ employees, serving iconic brands such as Sega, Square Enix, Logitech, Tile, Salvatore Ferragamo, and L’Oréal.

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In 2020, Scalefast also acquired Air360, further strengthening its data and analytics capabilities.

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Adara’s role: Europe-based partner with a global mindset

As the European investor in a global syndicate, Adara helped connect the Scalefast founders with the Southern European startup ecosystem, provided guidance through multiple funding rounds, and supported the company’s scaling journey from Madrid.

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“Since 2018, Adara Ventures has been a great partner for us. Their knowledge of the tech startup scene in Southern Europe has been instrumental in our scaling journey here in Madrid.”

– Frédéric Bocquet, Scalefast CTO and co-founder

A landmark exit and a category-defining outcome

In 2022, Scalefast was acquired by ESW, the world’s leading global DTC eCommerce company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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The acquisition created a 1,000-person organisation serving customers in 200+ markets and expanded ESW’s reach into entertainment, gaming, and electronics.

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Scalefast’s founders joined the ESW senior leadership team, continuing to drive innovation in the next chapter of global commerce.

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Building global winners from Southern Europe

Scalefast’s story exemplifies Adara’s investment philosophy: backing exceptional founders with the vision, execution, and courage to lead global markets.

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It also showcases the strength of Southern Europe’s engineering and entrepreneurial talent, proving that transformative, globally competitive technology companies can be built and scaled from the region.

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From Series A to strategic acquisition by a global leader, Scalefast stands out as a defining example of Adara’s ability to identify and nurture world-class technology companies from their earliest stages.