Stockholm-based Universal Avenue announces today it’s picked up $2 million (€1.84 million) seed from Kaj Hed’s MOOR Capital for a Sales as a Service concept that allows tech companies to connect with brick-and-mortar businesses without having to add more heads to the official payroll. So far Universal Avenue has launched with larger Swedish tech companies like iZettle, Wrapp, Lodgify, and Spotify Business from Soundtrack Your Brand.
We’ve bumped into outsourced sales companies from the region that work more as consultants, but going by their website messaging and video this one feels different – it’s the Uberification of sales. Energetic 20-somethings that believe in tech products and want them to be used in hotels, shops, or other businesses can discover leads through Universal Avenues app and make some money with the promise of a flexible lifestyle.
To plug in as a brand ambassador, you fill out an application to Universal Avenue, and are hired as a freelancer. Once you’re accepted, you’re given access to Universal Avenue’s app, which trains the ambassadors on products and also allows them to check in at sales locations, like hotels and restaurants, and then get a commission of those sales. They are currently live in Greece & Swedish markets, and are launching with some new brands in the UK in May next month.
For companies Universal Avenue claims no fixed fees, no setup costs, and no risks – but clearly you’re relying on Universal Avenue as a quality sales manager that won’t blow your reputation.
Clearly there’s room in the market for a product like this – the other week we joked how Helsinki-based Wolt’s restaurants were all a few blocks away from their office (which of course makes sense during their launch when things can break). But moving forward their sales team is going to need plenty more boots on the ground to expand farther than their neighborhood and a service like Universal Avenue looks like an easy answer for startups that need to launch city-by-city around the globe.
