The Russian crowdsourced courier service Dostavista has raised $2.25 million — less than one year after a previous round of funding — from two major Russian VC funds, Buran Venture Capital and AddVenture. The news was reported by business daily Kommersant, which cites exchanges with the startup and the investors.
The new funding will allow Dostavista to pursue its international expansion. The company already operates in China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, and the UK, in addition to Russia, its native market.
Targeting small and mid-sized online and offline retailers such as pastry or flower shops, Dostavista promises to deliver a package within hours of purchase.
“For each country, we offer a special formula that consists of various delivery types, payment options, and tariffs. The most ubiquitous set of options includes delivery by foot, bike, and car. Vans and large trucks are available in some countries as well,” the company stated.
The couriers of Dostavista, which says it takes inspiration from Uber, are required to install the app and create an account. After verification and certification, the couriers can start delivering parcels around the city, working either full-time or based on orders assigned automatically by a smart robot.
“Fantastic growth for ridiculously low amounts”
Dostavista claims that its proprietary algorithms can “evaluate several dozens of parameters in real-time and pick the best courier for the job.”
The startup claims to have increased the number of deliveries three-fold last year, with more than 1 million orders served, and to have become profitable in Russia.
The company takes a 20% commission fee on each order.
Dostavista has shown “a fantastic growth by every measure for ridiculously low investment amounts,” Russian business daily Kommersant quoted AddVenture’s managing partner Max Medvedev as saying.
Among Dostavista’s competitors in Russia is Gett, which launched its ‘Gett Courier’ service earlier this year.
