Emlen Raises $4.2M Toward Netflix-Style B2B Operation

Emlen, a Saarbrücken- and Berlin-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) startup, has closed a funding round for 3.6 million euros (about $4.2 million) and will use the capital create a “Netflix-like” B2B buyer experience, EU-Startups.com reported.

Co-Founder Marc Grewenig said in the report that the idea behind the company is to make the B2B buying experience more like B2C.

“Nearly 80% of today’s B2B buyers say their buying experience was too complex or difficult,” he said, per the report. “We will simplify this experience with emlen for all involved parties and pursue the vision that B2B sales will become a kind of commodity.”

Emlen was formed in 2020 and touted its ability to create individualized destinations for buyers without needing IT or coding skills, according to the report. The entire communication process, including providing content to the deal closing, is done within the destination.

The new funding will aid emlen in investing more in its tech, as well as growing the marketing and sales teams, the report stated.

The seed round was co-led by coparion and Montan-Ventures-Saar, according to the report. Existing investor Holzer Group, experienced angel investors from the leadership team of Personio and the founders of Finoa also participated.

Per the report, this brings emlen’s total funding to around 4.6 million euros (about $5.3 million).

In separate news, Novi Connect, a B2B marketplace letting buyers and sellers look for materials they would prefer to use in a sustainable manner, has also seen steady growth, now offering over 85,000 different materials, including oils, surfactants, fragrances, stock formulas and packaging components.

Read more: B2B Marketplace of Sustainable Suppliers Gains Funding, Looks to Expand

The company raised $10.3 million in a Series A round last month and has begun looking into other verticals where it can help customers access safe and sustainable materials.

The idea behind Novi is to help create more transparency in buying.