Mathias, co-founder of eSpring

Start

Mar

2015

Founded by Mathias and Philipp

Growth

Aug

2018

500K units sold and more than €2.5M annual revenue

Exit

Dec

2020

Sold to SellerX

“My perception was that Philipp and Malte (SellerX co-founders) were honest and full of integrity. That was my feeling from day one and I almost couldn’t believe it… but when I had another valuation from another aggregator, who was acting in a different manner, I realized that SellerX really is that genuine.”

Mathias, co-founder of eSpring

Intro

Mathias, co-founder of eSpring admits that time and financial freedom were the main motivations for quitting his desk job and becoming an entrepreneur at the age of 20. He was determined to shed the anguish of growing up with financial challenges but wanted to achieve that on his own terms. In 2015, the then 28-year-old entrepreneur and his business partner, Philipp, began the e-commerce brand, eSpring. Over the next few years, the company became an online powerhouse selling evergreen consumer goods across various categories, with several sub-brands being added to its portfolio along the way. Since being acquired by SellerX in December 2020, the brand has expanded to the US and further EU marketplaces, with 40 new products launched.

Selling Process

Why did you decide to sell your Amazon FBA business?

In the first years of running eSpring, I was very driven to succeed financially and prove that I was a real entrepreneur – That my first business was not just luck. As the years went by, we experienced dramatic growth and I far surpassed my financial goals. I became less hungry in the business, and I really felt I needed a change. Having the team members in mind, who were and still are my friends, it didn’t feel fair to continue when my heart wasn’t in it anymore. It was a very emotional and very personal decision. I started to ask myself, “Okay. What else? What is behind the money? What is the big goal in my life?” This is when I became focused on starting my own theme park. This is a dream I have had since childhood. Selling my business gave me the freedom and money to pursue this dream.

Why did you decide to sell to SellerX over other Amazon aggregators?

My perception was that Philipp and Malte (SellerX co-founders) were honest and full of integrity. That was my feeling from day one, and I almost couldn’t believe it. I was a little suspicious that they could be so transparent and fair because they were strangers to me. When I had another valuation from another aggregator, who was definitely not fair, I realised that SellerX really is that genuine. I was very happy with the process.

What was your favorite part of the selling process?

The end result. I was very happy with the process, and my perception is that Malte and Philipp were very honest and full of integrity. I couldn’t believe how transparent and fair they were from day one!

What will you do next?

I have always been addicted to other worlds. I played a lot of computer games and I was very often in theme parks as a child. I loved to be in a completely closed world, to forget everything; all the problems I had in the school, the doubts about myself. I still feel these childhood experiences today and feel the need to give others this escape. That is why I am starting my own theme park, bayvolution. I can’t imagine doing anything else now. This feels like it is my task to do. It just feels right. It’s not open yet. Compared to e-commerce, it is a more difficult venture to get off the ground, especially in Germany. Maybe I need to wait a little bit or need to work without seeing results immediately, but I know it’s right for me, and it’s just another challenge.

Would you recommend SellerX?

Yes. I would recommend them to anyone.

Our Story

How did you start your Amazon FBA business?

My first goal and motivation  were to have freedom.  To be free. I experienced a lot of pain as an employee, working for a company. This pain led me to start my first company. After doing that, I was still hungry because I hadn’t achieved my simple goal; to be rich. I have four kids and didn’t want to repeat the situation of my childhood where money was always scarce. I didn’t achieve wealth with my first company and was determined to keep working towards that goal. So, I founded eSpring with my very good friend, Philipp.

What did you do before being an entrepreneur?

I was doing an apprenticeship in business management. After maybe six months of working, I decided to leave the employee life to start my own venture. I was 20 years old at the time. At that age, you’re not mature enough to understand the right path for you. You’re naïve and stupid, and this is a good thing. You don’t think you’re being brave. You just do it.

How many hours a week did you work on your Amazon FBA business?

At the start, I worked a lot— maybe 60 to 80 hours per week. The first year of eSpring was very difficult because we had no customers, no sales. We were working so hard, but with nothing to show for it. It’s not a nice feeling; to go home late in the evening, wondering, “Okay. What am I doing?” I was afraid. My first son was maybe one- or two-years-old at the time and I was worried about money. We kept working at it and after a year or so, things really changed dramatically. We gained customers, had sales on Amazon, and the journey really started. It was a big adventure and we experienced very dramatic growth over the next years. This was a very fun time.

What were the biggest challenges as an Amazon FBA seller?

We had a lot of products, and it was getting complicated, but the hardest thing for me was to stay focused on the company since I was already looking at the theme park business. I wanted to do something else, but I knew I had to focus on eSpring. The business needed my 100% presence to stay on track. This was the biggest challenge.

Earlier, when we were experiencing rapid growth, finding talent and investment were the biggest challenges, but we did very well.

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Berlin

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Jägerstraße 41
10117 Berlin
Germany
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London

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1 Poultry
London EC2R 8EJ
United Kingdom
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Dongguan

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C3 B, Huake Business Park
No. 120 Guanchang Road
Dongcheng
Dongguan
China
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39/F, Tower 1, Metroplaza
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