E594 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Hermann Haraldsson, Boozt: Scaling a Nordic E-commerce Powerhouse & Lessons for Corporate Venturing

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2d ago 9:17

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In this EUCVC Summit Talks episode, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Hermann Haraldsson, CEO of Boozt, to unpack the journey of taking a Nordic e-commerce scale-up from scrappy beginnings to a billion-dollar listed company. They discuss Boozt’s playbook for customer trust, operational discipline, and balancing growth with profitability. Hermann reflects on how corporate partnerships can (and can’t) accelerate scale, why governance is critical earlier than founders think, and how AI and sustainability are reshaping retail.

Whether you’re a corporate VC, startup founder, or institutional investor, this is a candid look at the realities of building Europe’s digital champions.

🎧 Here’s what’s covered

00:00 Early days of Boozt — how a pivot from failure set the foundation for Nordic success.
04:15 Discipline in e-commerce: why governance and financial rigor mattered from day one.
07:40 The IPO journey — lessons on transparency, investor trust, and scaling under public scrutiny.
11:02 Corporate partnerships: what works, what doesn’t, and why alignment is everything.
14:26 Competing with Zalando — where local advantage and operational focus made the difference.
18:10 Building customer trust: logistics, returns, and the underrated role of consistency.
22:45 Sustainability in retail: Boozt’s approach to circular fashion and ESG reporting.
26:58 AI in e-commerce: practical applications Boozt is already deploying.
31:14 Founder resilience vs. corporate governance — finding the balance.
34:39 Advice to corporates: how to work with scale-ups without slowing them down.
38:50 Legacy and future vision: Hermann’s take on what defines success as a European tech leader.

600 episodes

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