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.
You can listen Hermann Haraldsson’s full talk from the EUCVC Summit 2025 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
✍️ Show Notes
Boozt’s Growth Playbook
Early pivot from failure into focused e-commerce strategy.
Discipline and governance from the start: operating like a public company years before the IPO.
Competing with Zalando by leaning on local knowledge, superior logistics, and customer-centric service.
IPO & Transparency
Going public forced operational rigor and a culture of accountability.
Investors reward transparency even in tough times.
Corporate Partnerships
Alignment is key: successful collaborations happen when incentives are shared.
Warning: corporates can slow down innovation if governance clashes with founder speed.
Sustainability & AI
ESG reporting not as box-ticking but as a competitive edge.
Practical AI applications already rolled out: personalization, supply chain optimization, and customer service.
Takeaways for Corporates & CVCs
Don’t underestimate founder resilience, but governance needs to be in place earlier than most think.
Corporates can add value — but only if they respect entrepreneurial speed.
Europe’s tech champions are built on discipline, not hype.
💡 One-liner takeaway:
Hermann Haraldsson proves that building a European digital champion is about discipline, transparency, and trust — and that corporates can play a role if they lean in with alignment and speed.
