Spartoo Named the Most Innovative Start-Up in Europe

COPENHAGEN, LONDON and MUNICH, November 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartoo.com, Europe's number one online shoe store, received the Schroders Innovation Award at Innovation Exchange 2010, the annual meeting place for the EMEA innovation community.

Created four years ago and operating in more than 20 countries including: France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy, Spartoo.com is the European leader in internet footwear sales with over 1 million regular customers and over 10 million unique visitors (Nielsen, july 2010).

The company offers a unique consumer experience through its large choice of brand name shoes (more than 400 brands & 15,000 styles) and has been consistently recognised by the market for the exceptional quality of their customer service.

In a European market estimated at over EUR50 billion, Spartoo.com has seen its turnover multiply by 125 over the past four years and has recently been nominated amongst the fastest growing companies in Europe by GP Bullhound Media Momentum & RedHerring.

The Schroders Innovation Award celebrates young, emerging European technology companies that have demonstrated a successful go to market strategy of a unique and original concept.

"Spartoo exudes the qualities inherent in successful start-ups. They have a sound business model, proven track record, are bringing true innovation to market and measurable growth and resourcefulness amid a still challenging and tough economic climate." said Jean-Marc Soustre, CEO, European Tech Tour Association.

"The Innovation Exchange was a hugely successful event. We are very pleased with the decision taken by the selection committee. Both Betfair, winner of the "Entrepreneur of the year" award, and Spartoo.com, winner of the "Schroders Innovation Award", are companies which have achieved great results showing strong entrepreneurship, which in our opinion is absolutely essential for success." said Bernhard Leibkutsch, Schroders & Co Banque

"We are very proud to receive this award. In a very short time we have gained the position of uncontested leader in the European market. The award is a strong validation of the efforts we take on a daily basis to deliver the best service and offer the largest range of Shoes in Europe" said Boris Saragaglia, founder and CEO of Spartoo.com.

About Spartoo.com : << No1 in footwear in Europe >>

Founded in 2006 by two HEC graduates, Boris Saragaglia (Mines-HEC), Paul Lorne (Centrale-HEC) and Jeremie Touchard (Mines), Spartoo.com is the European leader in the internet footwear market. Operating in more than 20 countries, Spartoo.com offers over 400 top brands with more than 15,000 styles from which to shop, exceptional customer service, and free delivery and return within 30 days. Spartoo.com is backed by Highland Capital Partners, Endeavour Vision, CM-CIC Capital Prive and Aplus Finance

About the European Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

The European Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are presented to the European technologyentrepreneur whose private company has had the biggest impact, on the largest number of people, in the least amount of time. The winners are selected by an independent committee of business leaders and venture capitalists including representatives from the World Economic Forum, Good Energies, Balderton and other leading Venture Capital firms in Europe.

    For further information, please visit
http://www.techtour.com/innoex2010/Overview.htm

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About the European Tech Tour Association

The European Tech Tour Association (ETT) was founded in Geneva in 1998 in response to the growing interest in emerging technology companies in various European regions. ETT is an independent, not-for-profit organisation composed of key contributors to the high technology industry. The Association recognises that continued prosperity in Europe lies in its ability to transform today's innovative projects into tomorrow's global technology leaders. For further information, please visit www.techtour.com

About Informilo

Informilo (http://www.informilo.com) is a media, research and events business that includes a news site covering entrepreneurship and innovation around the globe in every part of the pipeline - from the smallest start-up with the best idea to big companies that embrace creative disruption. The aim is to help start-ups and venture capitalists benchmark the global competition and connect with big corporates. It was started in Paris by Jennifer L. Schenker, a journalist who has been covering the tech sector outside of the U.S. for 25 years for prestigious publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, International Herald Tribune, Red Herring and Business Week.

About The European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA)

EVCA is the voice of European private equity and venture capital; trusted by over 1,200 members to represent the industry at the highest levels of business and government. It is this trust, fostered over 26 years, that enables EVCA to promote and protect the industry, working in partnership with key stakeholders like policy makers, institutional investors, entrepreneurs, employee groups, professional advisors and business executives. EVCA develops and delivers professional standards, world class research and education, industry promotion and public policy making. EVCA covers the whole range of private equity from early-stage venture capital to the largest buyouts.

    Media Contact:

    M. Saragaglia Boris, Founder & CEO
    [email protected] (CC: [email protected])
    +33-4-76-09-59-29

    Shoes (http://www.spartoo.co.uk/)

SOURCE SPARTOO