Klarna continues its aggressive acquisition strategy after its last funding round which made it the most expensive European startup with $45,6 billion valuation. Previously, the company acquired the largest virtual shopping platform Hero, operating in 30 countries.
Last week Klarna reportedly purchased a Stocard — loyalty cards aggregator application from Germany. According to unofficial sources, the deal amounted to €110 million.
While yesterday, Klarna announced a new takeover — APPRL is an end-to-end influencer marketing software, tailored for the needs of e-commerce brands, where marketers can find high-performing creators, collaborate efficiently and track performance in real-time.
Klarna is aiming to become the centre of the shopping ecosystem, as social shopping is growing across all demographics. By 2022, 28% of the entire US population are expected to shop across social channels. 48% of Gen Z and millennials do it today.
The new acquisition is another argument for retailers in the US and other countries to partner with Klarna and benefit from it. The company already has 250,000 retailers including H&M, IKEA, ASOS and Nike.
The current return for the Global Technologies Private Portfolio clients who purchased Klarna shares at the end of last year is 256%.