Jan 29, 2014

Last week, Lokata.ru, a startup driving Internet and mobile users to offline stores, completed a new round of financing from German-American venture fund E.Ventures (formerly known as E-Ventures Capital Partners) and Bonial International Group, a German company which has developed similar projects in several European countries. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Following a concept initially developed by Germany’s KaufDa, Lokata users can identify nearby stores using search filters such as product category, retailer and even brand. Users can also view online catalogs, which carry all of products available by participating retailers in the area. When a retailer discounts a particular product desired by the user, Lokata alerts  the user. The research online – purchase offline effect (ROPO) has shown greater popularity in Russia than in other countries, Oborot.ru quoted Bonial’s Chief Executive Director Christian Geiser as saying. In an exchange with Oborot.ru, a publication focused on the Russian e-commerce scene, Lokata.ru’s General Manager Zhanna Shalimova said that the funds will be used mainly to improve the technology and launch new mobile applications. Lokata.ru was  launched last April  under a joint venture formed by Bonial and serial startup developer Fast Lane Ventures.