Finnish B2B distribution startup Droppe secures €3.9m to serve a new generation of industrial buyers
Droppe, a pioneering Finnish B2B distribution startup, announced the successful closing of €3.9 million funding round. The round was led by prominent European early-stage venture capital firm OpenOcean. Miki Kuusi, Wolt’s Co-founder, Ilkka Paananen, Supercell’s Co-founder, Robert Gentz, Zalando’s Co-founder and Marianne Vikkula, Wolt’s COO, all took part in the round through the founder office Illusian Ventures. Also Lifeline Ventures, Droppe’s previous investor, participated.
The new funding will enable Droppe’s mission to transform B2B distribution from its traditional roots since the early 2000s into a modern, digital-first approach.
With 80% of B2B sales interactions expected to happen online by 2025 and the new generation of buyers preferring digital experiences, Droppe addresses the increasing demand through its unique Source-to-Order platform. Droppe’s platform offers businesses an easy way to source, order and manage supplies, such as safety, paper, workwear and packaging supplies for their operations.
At the same time, enabling suppliers to serve and ship directly to customers at scale, Droppe eliminates the need for intermediary storage, repackaging, and additional logistics when moving products from brands to businesses. Droppe’s approach creates shorter, more sustainable European supply chains, helping businesses achieve their sustainability goals and contribute to a greener future.
Streamlining supply chains has a significant impact on businesses’ overall carbon footprint, as on average, a company’s supply chain alone produces 11 times the emissions compared to their operations. Businesses will focus more on their scope 3 emissions in the next few years as tracking and reporting of scope 3 emissions become mandatory for all European businesses in 2027.
Johannes Salmisaari, CEO and Co-founder, Droppe: ''We are in an exciting phase at Droppe, both market and company-wise. With increased technology adoption and millennials stepping into buyer roles, the landscape of business purchasing decisions is changing. The culture is moving away from transactions with salespersons via physical visits, emails and calls towards digital experiences that streamline purchase decisions and enhance the collaborative management and coordination of recurring orders.''
With the new funding, Droppe plans to develop its platform even further so that suppliers can meet the online expectations of their B2B customers. At the same time, the company is also looking to recruit new commercial talent across its offices in Helsinki and Cologne to serve its growing European customer base.
Henrik Helenius, Co-founder, Droppe: ''The funding will support Droppe in expanding our database of suppliers, products, and their associated technical product and standard data. This will help buyers source and order more efficiently and objectively. Furthermore, Droppe will put even more focus on supporting operations and procurement teams across Europe to help them manage purchasing of their operations supplies, providing them with greater control over their operations. We’ve seen the need for a platform like this and are excited to expand our offering.''
Since its founding in 2020, Droppe has shown significant market traction. Currently, the company serves over 1,500 companies across Europe, with its largest markets in the Nordics and DACH region. In addition, over 150 leading European brands specialising in safety, workwear, paper and packaging products have adopted Droppe’s Source-to-Order Platform as their strategy to capture the growing online market and expand into new markets.
Tom Henriksson, General Partner, OpenOcean: ''Through its source-to-order platform, Droppe provides buyers with the easiest way to source, order, and manage the products their operations rely on. For brands, Droppe offers more than just an online distribution channel. It provides a scalable order management system and a powerful data engine that delivers actionable insights on matching demand with supply, helping brands understand how to expand their market share and enter new markets across Europe—putting them back in the driver's seat of their success. Droppe’s strong founders have shown their ability to develop a compelling online product that can serve both small and large businesses in Europe. We are proud to support Johannes and Henrik in the next phase of their journey.''
