VEON acquires strategic stake in Bangladesh's leading full-stack B2B commerce platform, ShopUp

Rhea-AI Summary

VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON) has announced its investment in ShopUp, Bangladesh's leading B2B commerce platform, marking it as ShopUp's first strategic corporate investor. This investment aims to bolster ShopUp's digital ecosystem for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Bangladesh. VEON's co-CEO noted the strategic importance of this partnership in serving the business needs of the MSME community, especially in light of COVID-19's supply chain challenges. This investment is part of the largest Series A funding round for a Bangladeshi startup, co-led by Flourish Ventures and Sequoia Capital India.

Positive

• VEON becomes the first strategic corporate investor in ShopUp, which enhances its market position.
• The investment supports the growth of MSMEs, a critical part of Bangladesh's economy.
• Partnership with ShopUp allows VEON to expand its digital financial services and increase service reach.

Negative

• None.

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON) and (Euronext Amsterdam: VEON), through VEON Ventures, has joined Sequoia Capital India and Flourish Ventures as investors in ShopUp, Bangladesh's leading full-stack B2B commerce platform for small businesses, becoming ShopUp's first strategic corporate investor.

The investment enables VEON Ventures to support ShopUp's fast-growing digital ecosystem for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which form a vital backbone of Bangladesh's economy, as well as providing significant opportunities for developing mobile financial services for ShopUp's users.

As Bangladesh's leading full-stack B2B commerce company, ShopUp provides B2B sourcing, logistics and financial services to MSMEs through its mobile-first digital platform and market-leading last mile logistics service, RedX. ShopUp is already used by a large portion of Bangladeshi local businesses, helping neighbourhood shops and online sellers overcome the supply chain challenges of Bangladesh's highly fragmented wholesale, retail and distribution channels.

ShopUp's embedded financial services product provides MSMEs with access to digital credit through partnerships with leading local financial institutions, broadening financial inclusion to communities of small businesses that often lack access to basic banking services.

Sergi Herrero, VEON's co-CEO, said: "Our investment in ShopUp offers VEON Ventures a fantastic opportunity to back one of the leading digital players in a strategic market for VEON and one of the world's fastest growing economies. By combining VEON's expertise in digital financial services with ShopUp's unique sourcing and logistics capabilities, we look forward to serving the business needs of Bangladesh's vibrant MSME community while helping to promote financial inclusion throughout the nation's millions of small business owners."

Afeef Zaman, co-Founder and CEO of ShopUp, said: "We knew we would witness massive adoption of the internet and technology by Bangladesh's small businesses and founded ShopUp because we wanted to play our part in redefining the nation's growth story through this transformation. COVID-19 makes this shift even more critical for Bangladesh's smaller businesses as supply chain pressures intensify. An investment from a leading international digital player such as VEON is an important step in our ongoing support of the MSME community, allowing us to increase our reach with retailers, suppliers and manufacturers."

VEON's investment was led by the VEON Ventures division, which pursues investment opportunities across digital assets and businesses with the ability to scale VEON's capabilities in mobile financial services, adtech and next-generation media content in order to enrich the experience of VEON's 205 million customers worldwide.

VEON's investment in ShopUp was made alongside Flourish Ventures and Sequoia Capital India. Both investment firms co-led the current investment round for ShopUp, with additional participation from Speedinvest and Lonsdale in what is the largest Series A round of its kind for a Bangladeshi start-up.

About VEON and ShopUp

VEON is a NASDAQ and Euronext Amsterdam-listed global provider of connectivity and internet services. For more information visit: www.veon.com.

ShopUp is Bangladesh's leading full-stack B2B Commerce platform for small businesses (neighbourhood shops and online sellers). We provide easy access to B2B sourcing, last-mile logistics, digital credit and business management solutions. To know more about our work, visit www.shopup.com.bd.

Disclaimer

This release contains "forward-looking statements", as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and include statements relating to, among other things, the potential benefits of the transaction described above. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which VEON cannot predict with accuracy and some of which VEON might not even anticipate. The forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date of this release. VEON does not undertake to publicly update, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws, any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after such dates or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

VEON Contacts:
Communications
Kieran Toohey
pr@veon.com
Tel: +31 20 79 77 200 

Investor Relations
Nik Kershaw
ir@veon.com
Tel: +31 20 79 77 200

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SOURCE VEON Ltd

FAQ

What is VEON's recent investment in ShopUp?

VEON has invested in ShopUp, Bangladesh's leading full-stack B2B commerce platform, becoming its first strategic corporate investor.

How does VEON's investment benefit the MSME sector in Bangladesh?

The investment supports the growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises by improving their access to digital resources and financial services.

What was the significance of the funding round involving VEON and ShopUp?

The funding round is noted as the largest Series A round for a Bangladeshi startup, indicating strong investor confidence and potential growth.

What strategic opportunities does VEON see in its partnership with ShopUp?

VEON aims to leverage ShopUp's logistics and sourcing capabilities to enhance its mobile financial services and cater to small businesses.

What are the challenges ShopUp addresses for local businesses?

ShopUp helps local businesses navigate supply chain challenges and access digital credit, promoting financial inclusion.