OnBuy
OnBuy is a UK-founded online marketplace operating across 21 European countries, connecting 7,000+ third-party retailers with consumers through a non-competing cashback model powered by its proprietary OnCommerce platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What OnBuy does
OnBuy is a UK-headquartered online marketplace founded in 2016 (Bournemouth headquarters) that connects third-party retailers with consumers across 21 European country-specific storefronts. The platform hosts over 36 million products from 7,000+ retailers and differentiates through a 'cashback marketplace' positioning: OnBuy does not sell first-party inventory and does not compete with its sellers, instead returning a portion of seller-funded commissions to buyers as instant cashback, supported by VIP membership, 30-day returns, and purchase protection. The core technology is OnCommerce, OnBuy's proprietary multi-channel retail platform supporting cross-border trade, regulatory compliance, and operational tooling across 100M+ products and 140M+ shoppers.
The business operates a marketplace commission revenue model, monetizing the spread between seller fees and cashback payouts to buyers. GTM combines direct marketplace listing (OnBuy.com across 21 European markets), product-led growth via the cashback rewards loop, and OEM/white-label licensing — exemplified by the easyGroup partnership powering easyShop.com across Europe (Q4 2026 launch) and the acquisition-and-relaunch of the historic Comet brand (£10M+ committed) targeting UK consumer electronics in Q4 2025. Payment integrations span PayPal, Klarna, Visa, Mastercard, Bancontact, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, and the company employs 101-250 staff.
Strategic momentum through 2025-2026 has been heavily offensive: £35M Series A+ in 2021 funded an eight-market European expansion (March 2026) and Nordic launch (June 2026), with reported 152% quarterly GMV growth in initial European markets and 374% growth in newly launched markets. Key dependencies include the Posten Bring logistics partnership for Nordic scale, the easyGroup brand for white-label distribution, and the Comet brand for vertical depth in consumer electronics. No proprietary AI/ML capability is disclosed.
OnBuy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OnBuy
- Legal name
- OnBuy
- Website
- https://onbuy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- OnBuy is a UK-founded online marketplace operating across 21 European countries, connecting 7,000+ third-party retailers with consumers through a non-competing cashback model powered by its proprietary OnCommerce platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OnBuy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Marketplace
- NAICS
- Electronics and Appliance Retailers (44921)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)
Keywords
Where OnBuy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OnBuy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Marketplace Transaction Fees: OnBuy generates revenue through commissions on transactions between sellers and buyers on its marketplace platform. Sellers pay fees to list and sell products on the marketplace.
- Cashback Program Revenue Share: Revenue generated from the cashback model where a portion of transaction value is returned to buyers as cashback rewards, funded by marketplace commissions from sellers.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
OnBuy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OnBuy operates an online marketplace connecting third-party retailers with consumers across 21 European markets, offering instant cashback rewards on every purchase and not competing with its own sellers. It also provides white-label marketplace technology via its proprietary OnCommerce platform to partners, enabling asset-light marketplace launches across multiple geographies.
Product overview
OnBuy operates as a multi-product e-commerce ecosystem comprising its core OnBuy Marketplace (a UK-founded online marketplace operating across 21 global markets with over 36 million products and 7,000+ retailers), the OnCommerce Platform (a white-label multi-channel retail infrastructure powering both OnBuy and third-party marketplaces like easyShop.com), the easyShop.com marketplace (a partnership with easyGroup launching in 21 European countries in Q4 2026), and the acquired Comet brand (being relaunched as a consumer electronics marketplace). The platform differentiates through direct cashback rewards, a non-competing seller model, buyer protection, and cross-border trade capabilities across European markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OnCommerce: A multi-channel retail platform developed by OnBuy that connects sellers to multiple global markets and retail channels through a single account, offering access to 21 markets and over 100 million products.
Products and services
- OnBuy Marketplace UK-based online marketplace connecting third-party sellers with consumers across 21 global markets, featuring direct cashback rewards on purchases, free delivery on millions of products, and a non-competing model that does not sell directly to consumers.
- OnCommerce Platform Multi-channel retail platform that connects sellers to multiple global markets and retail channels through a single account, offering access to 21 markets and over 100 million products. Powers OnBuy's own marketplace and enables white-label deployment for partners.
- Comet Marketplace Historic UK electronics retailer brand acquired from Misco Technologies, being relaunched as a consumer electronics marketplace targeting the UK market with over £10 million investment.
- easyShop.com Online marketplace operated by OnBuy using its OnCommerce platform for easyGroup, launching across 21 European countries in Q4 2026, with easyGroup providing brand recognition and OnBuy handling technical infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and cross-border trade operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 152% quarterly sales growth in first 12 European markets in H2 2025
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use OnBuy
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
OnBuy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature2 records
OnBuy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- easyGroupcoreeasyGroup, founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, partnered with OnBuy to launch easyShop.com, a new online marketplace across 21 European countries. OnBuy provides the technological infrastructure through its OnCommerce platform, enabling easyGroup to enter online retail through an asset-light model without holding inventory. Consumer launch targeted for Q4 2026 with significant long-term investment from both parties.
- Misco TechnologiesminorOnBuy acquired the Comet brand from Misco Technologies as part of its expansion into the consumer electronics sector. The Comet brand was previously a major UK electronics retailer before entering administration in 2012.
- Posten BringcoreNordic logistics provider Posten Bring invested in OnBuy in 2021 as part of long-term growth goals. The partnership supports OnBuy's expansion into Nordic markets (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland) by leveraging Posten Bring's established relationships with Nordic retailers to facilitate platform adoption.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OnBuy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon Marketplace: The dominant global online marketplace and OnBuys primary competitive reference point. Amazon operates a first-party + third-party marketplace across all 21 European countries OnBuy serves, and OnBuys whole positioning is built around being a fair, non-competing alternative.
- Wayfair: Wayfair operates a deep-vertical online marketplace across Europe and globally using a third-party seller model. While focused on home goods, Wayfair provides a comparable peer for understanding marketplace scale economics, seller onboarding complexity, and European expansion playbook relevant to OnBuys Comet vertical launch.
Direct peers
- eBay: eBay operates a third-party-only online marketplace model very similar to OnBuys non-competing positioning. eBay serves European sellers and buyers across multiple categories, making it the closest structurally comparable peer in product, business model, and target customer base.
- Rakuten: Rakuten operates a global marketplace anchored by its cashback/loyalty rewards program, very similar to OnBuys direct cashback model. Rakuten offers instant cashback on purchases across thousands of retailers, making it the most comparable peer on the cashback-shopping dimension.
Regional players
- Cdiscount: One of the largest French marketplaces, comparable to OnBuy as a multi-category European third-party marketplace. Cdiscount primarily serves the French market, providing a regional peer for benchmarking pan-European marketplace economics.
- bol.com: Leading Dutch and Belgian marketplace operated jointly with retailers, structurally similar to OnBuy in serving as a third-party-only marketplace with strong retail partnerships. Comparable as a European non-Amazon alternative, though primarily serving the Benelux region.
- Allegro: Polands leading e-commerce marketplace, which became a public company with significant scale. Allegro operates an asset-light third-party marketplace model across multiple categories and is a relevant comparable as OnBuy expands into Poland and other Central European markets.
Emerging players
- Honey Science (PayPal): Honey (now owned by PayPal) pioneered browser-based cashback and coupon functionality on top of third-party retailers. As a cashback/rewards layer, Honey is comparable to OnBuys cashback model from the consumer behavior side, though it does not operate its own marketplace.
- Vinted: Vinted operates a leading European C2C and recommerce marketplace across many of the same European geographies as OnBuy. While focused on second-hand fashion, Vinted is comparable as a third-party marketplace model that has scaled rapidly across European countries without holding inventory.
Others
- Shopify Marketplace Connect: Shopify enables merchants to list products across marketplaces including third-party platforms; relevant to OnBuys OnCommerce platform from a competitive supply-side perspective, as it is part of the merchant toolkit stack for sellers evaluating where to list inventory.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OnBuy social profiles
Digital presenceOnBuy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OnBuy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
OnBuy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
OnBuy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OnBuy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OnBuy
What does OnBuy do?
OnBuy operates an online marketplace connecting third-party retailers with consumers across 21 European markets, offering instant cashback rewards on every purchase and not competing with its own sellers. It also provides white-label marketplace technology via its proprietary OnCommerce platform to partners, enabling asset-light marketplace launches across multiple geographies.
Is OnBuy a public or private company?
OnBuy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was OnBuy founded?
OnBuy was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is OnBuy based?
OnBuy is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does OnBuy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Marketplace Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are cashback Program Revenue Share.
Who are OnBuy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon Marketplace and Wayfair. Direct peers are eBay and Rakuten. Regional players are Cdiscount, bol.com and Allegro. Emerging players are Honey Science (PayPal) and Vinted. Shopify Marketplace Connect is listed as an others.
Does OnBuy have an API?
No public API is recorded for OnBuy.
What industry is OnBuy in?
OnBuy's product category is Online Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAH, Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms. Its NAICS code is 44921.