Pop Market

Pop Market emerged in 2021 as a quick commerce operator in Greece, founded by CEO Takis Malavetas and Nick Telecki. The founders brought significant industry experience; Malavetas is a serial entrepreneur, having previously established grocery delivery startups Convibo and Home Run in the UK, while Telecki held a strategic role at Delivery Hero. Their combined expertise informed the company's direction, aiming to address a perceived gap in the Greek market for rapid and reliable grocery delivery.

The company operated on a vertically integrated, 'dark store' model, establishing a network of hyper-local warehouses that were not open to the public. This end-to-end infrastructure, from sourcing directly from suppliers to managing its own delivery fleet, allowed Pop Market to control its supply chain and promise delivery in as little as 15 minutes at no extra charge. The business model was designed to cater to a trend of smaller, more frequent purchases by consumers, aiming to fulfill orders from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Customers accessed the service through a mobile application available for both Android and iOS, choosing from a product catalog of around 2,000 items that included fresh produce, daily essentials, and products from local Greek producers.

Pop Market secured substantial initial funding, raising approximately €3 million ($3.5 million) in a seed round in October 2021, co-led by Global Founders Capital and 468 Capital. This was followed by a second round that brought the total funding to around $8.5 million, with participation from previous investors as well as Eleven Ventures and Genesis Venture. The company expanded rapidly, opening five dark stores across Athens and growing its team to over 50 employees. In 2022, Pop Market acquired Ferto, another Greek quick commerce startup. However, in late 2023, the company ceased its quick commerce operations, transferring its customer base to Wolt Market through a commercial agreement. The parent company, Quick Commerce Monoprosopi, continues to exist, reportedly exploring different investment avenues.

Keywords: Pop Market, Takis Malavetas, Nick Telecki, quick commerce, q-commerce, grocery delivery, dark store, online supermarket, food delivery Greece, 15-minute delivery, mobile grocery app, venture capital, Global Founders Capital, 468 Capital, Eleven Ventures, last-mile delivery, on-demand grocery, e-grocery, Greek startup, Athens tech, Convibo, Home Run Delivery, Wolt Market