Undisclosed · Other round · E-commerce · Berlin, Germany
Berlin-based Joy_, which sells a universal gift card for products from online shops, has raised an undisclosed investment from Lena Gercke. The model and entrepreneur will also front a nationwide television campaign scheduled to begin in early November, according to Gründerszene reporting and posts from Joy co-founder Titus Hüsken and existing investor Merkit Holding. The parties did not disclose the amount, ownership stake or other transaction terms.
Turning an endorsement into a distribution asset
Joy’s product is designed to remove the retailer restriction built into most gift cards. A recipient chooses a product available online, and Joy’s purchasing agents place the order with the merchant and arrange delivery. That lets the company offer broad product choice without requiring every retailer to integrate a dedicated Joy redemption flow. The company’s support material identifies Gifting Technologies GmbH as the Berlin-based operator.
The investment pairs Gercke’s audience with distribution Joy has already built. Current reporting says the ZuGutSchein is sold through MediaMarkt, Saturn, Müller, Thalia, Edeka and Deutsche Post, while Payback and Miles & More are among its platform partners. Co-founder Titus Hüsken said more than 70,000 vouchers have been sold and that the business is targeting €5m of revenue in 2026; those are company claims rather than independently audited figures.
That footprint changes what a celebrity investor can contribute. Gercke is not simply attaching her name to an online product: the campaign can direct attention towards a card consumers can already find in major retail chains. If the campaign lifts store-level sales during the Christmas period, Joy gains a way to test whether broad awareness converts into voucher purchases across several channels. The harder commercial question follows redemption: the company still has to keep product sourcing, ordering and customer support reliable while preserving enough margin on each transaction.
A new backer after the retail rollout
Gercke’s investment is separate from Joy’s earlier financing. Earlier in 2026, Joy and Angel Invest announced a €1.25m round involving IBB Ventures, Janna Ensthaler, Swiss Founders Fund and angel investors. That capital supported the company’s move into physical retail. The new deal adds a recognisable investor as Joy enters a national advertising push, making campaign conversion and repeat use more meaningful milestones than reach alone.
