A French start-up has raised €1.85 million as it seeks to become the ‘Amazon of art world logistics’.
Convelio was founded in Paris just nine months ago but is already targeting international expansion after recently opening a base in London.
The company specialises in the shipping of art, antiques and designer objects and already provides transport to hundreds of destinations in more than 40 countries for more than 300 customers.
The rise of eCommerce has made the discovery of art works easier, but the experience related to actually getting them delivered remains opaque and complicated, according to co-founder Edouard Gouin.
“The incredibly expensive estimates from legacy carriers in the sector typically take 48 hours and that’s what we want to change, not only by expanding our services, but more importantly by developing solutions that facilitate a click-and-buy experience like the one you can see on Amazon,” he said.
“This fundraising allows us to consolidate many of the operational and technological points necessary to accomplish our mission.
“All the investments made thanks to this round will allow the complete development of the Convelio platform to offer simple and affordable logistics capable of offering instant estimates.”
The firm provides instant online quotes and optimised costs based on an algorithm using several dozen variables including volumetric weight, geographical area, transport routes and customs management.