NEW YORK, NY.- Auctionata, creator of the live Internet auction and leader in establishing the art tech industry today concluded one of the most impressive years for a startup in the emerging art tech category. In its first year, Auctionata increased sales volume from $1.37 million in 2012 to $ 20.65 million in 2013. In addition, Auctionata broke the record for a work of fine art sold online at auction (previously held by the sale of Andy Warhol’s Flowers) with the sale of Egon Shiele’s watercolor Reclining Woman auctioned for $2.4 million on June 21.
“Through its top performance, Auctionata has really proven itself in 2013 – it’s a startup that’s really worthy of the name and it brings along the best qualifications for achieving its ambitious goals in 2014,” said Dr. Lars Langusch, General Partner at Holtzbrinck Ventures.
With more than 60,000 registered users from over 100 countries, Auctionata has increased its online traffic by 40 percent since its launch in December 2012. Auctionata’s eCommerce shop, an online channel offering more than 10,000 objects sold at set prices, accounted for roughly 25 percent of the company’s 2013 profit margin. With a total of 35 online auctions held weekly since May 3, 2013, and broadcast live from its TV studio, Auctionata has achieved an average sell through rate of 70 percent. Thus far, Auctionata’s professional valuation service has conducted more than 40,000 free valuations. Of those, Auctionata successfully acquired 15,000 objects with a merchandise value exceeding $ 45.4 million.
“We are extremely delighted about this positive outcome, which we owe in large part to our professional team and the excellent cooperation we enjoy with more than 250 independent experts,” said Alexander Zacke, CEO of Auctionata. “For 2014, our target is to become the German market leader in terms of sales volume. Beyond that, we will continue to systematically pursue our international expansion, building, next to Hong Kong, a full-service location in New York, the center of the international art trade.”
Following its 2013 expansion with offices in London and Zurich, Auctionata has seen tremendous growth and now has a staff of over 140 employees. The online only auction house expanded its senior management team with the addition of a new chief marketing officer, Christof Schminke, who was previously Head of Strategic and Offline Marketing at Zalando. In addition, Robin Roche, former Senior Vice President & Global Head of Auctions at Artnet joined Auctionata as senior vice president for North America. The expanded team will set the course for the U.S. launch planned for the third quarter of 2014 in conjunction with Auctionata’s New York City television studio and logistics center.
