Crobox

Amsterdam-based Crobox operates as a B2B software-as-a-service provider, specializing in what it terms "Guided Selling" for the e-commerce sector. The company was established in 2014 by founders Rodger Buyvoets (CEO), Sjoerd Mulder (CTO), and Leonard Wolters (CDO) to address choice overload for online shoppers, a problem they believed led to consumer paralysis. Buyvoets brings a background in digital growth strategy and marketing, having previously managed and expanded digital marketing agencies. The founding team aimed to replicate the personalized, conversational experience of an in-store assistant through an AI-powered platform.

Crobox's core offering is a product discovery platform that creates engaging Digital Product Advisors for e-commerce websites. This technology functions by initiating a dialogue with shoppers, asking targeted questions to understand their specific needs, and then recommending the most suitable products. The platform is built on a foundation of consumer psychology and machine learning, utilizing a library of psychological principles to tailor interactions and messaging for individual users. Key features include Product Finders, which are dynamic Q&A flows; Product Data Enrichment, which enhances product data with benefits that connect to customer needs; Dynamic Messaging; and analytics that provide insights into consumer decision-making. The platform is designed to integrate with most e-commerce systems.

The company's business model is centered on helping e-commerce clients increase key performance metrics such as conversion rates and average order value (AOV), while also reducing product returns. By guiding consumers to the right products, Crobox aims to turn website drop-offs into conversions. Case studies with clients like ASICS, Osprey, and Ekster have shown significant returns on investment and uplifts in conversion. The company secures its revenue through this value proposition to a client base of online retailers. After an initial seed round of $250K in May 2015, Crobox raised an additional $1.25 million in September 2016, led by Keadyn and Ventech, to expand its platform's capabilities and international presence. At that time, its client roster included major brands like Rakuten, T-Mobile, and Under Armour.

Keywords: Guided Selling, product discovery, e-commerce technology, consumer psychology, machine learning, personalization engine, conversion rate optimization, digital product advisors, data enrichment, average order value