3. Tradus is an online auction company operating
in Central and Eastern Europe whose flagship
was by far the most popular action site in
Poland. In march 2008, the company was
acquired by the South African media group
Naspers.
4. Naspers is a broad based multinational internet and
media group offering services in more than 130
countries. Its principal operations are in internet
communication like online shopping, online payments
and online services video entertainment and print
media. With a market capitalization of over $66billion
it is the largest company in Africa and the 7th largest
internet company in the world.
5. Type of site Online auction
Available in Multilingual
Founded London, UK (1997)
Headquarters Zug, Switzerland
Countries served Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, India,
Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK
Owner Naspers
Key People Christian Unger (CEO)
Simon Duffy, Chairman
Robert Dighero (CFO)
Industry Auctions
6. Products or Service Online Auction Hosting, Online
Payment Systems, Price Comparison
Service
Revenue £36.4 Million
Operating Income £9.5 Million
Net Income £6.7 Million
Slogan Europe’s online trading community
7.
8. Tradus got born as an emerger of QXL (“Quick Sell”), founded
in London in 1997 by Financial Times Journalist Tim Jackson,
and Ricardo. The company first operated under the name “QXL
Ricardo”, and the current name Tradus didn’t step in until
November 2007.
On the 7th November 2007, after a sharp rise in the company’s
share price, the company announced that it had received a
preliminary approach from a potential bidder who was unnamed.
On 21 November 2007 QXL Ricardo announced that it had
received permission from its shareholders to change the name to
Tradus.
Later in Mid December the company announced that the
potential purchaser was the South African media company
Naspers.
9. Company Purchase Price Date
Humpty Dumpty eSwap £3.1 million July 1999
QXL Auksjon £13.2 million December 1999
QSL Denmark £6.6 million January 2000
QSL Poland $75,000 March 2000
IBIlive NV £6.8 million April 2000
Idefi SA £2.5 million April 2000
Bidlet AB £62.2 million June 2000
Ricardo.de AG £44.8 million November 2000
Ceneo SA £732,000 December 2006
Molotok.ru £1.5 million October 2007
Trendsales.dk £12million November 2010
