# Motatos Financial Model

Matsmart/Motatos is a B2C e-commerce platform that buys and resells FMCG surplus inventory (food & non-food) at a 20–90% discount, reducing food waste.

- Canonical: https://finamodel.com/startups/motatos
- Excel download: https://finamodel.com/startup-models/motatos.xlsx
- Category: Marketplace
- Model type: SaaS ARR / Valuation
- Funding round: Series C
- Funding: $27M
- Founded: 2021
- Geography: Sweden (SE), Finland (FI), Denmark (DK), Germany (DE) [DECK slide 4]. Nordic hub + German hub [DECK slide 7].
- Customer: B2C

## About the company

Motatos buys surplus food and non-food FMCG inventory from suppliers and resells it online at large discounts. Its assortment helps brands clear products affected by packaging changes, seasonality, production issues, or approaching best-before dates while reducing waste.

The company serves more than 500,000 active customers across Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Germany, working with more than 300 suppliers. Revenue is direct product sales, not marketplace commission, with gross margin driven by the difference between discounted procurement cost and consumer selling price.

The model is a DTC inventory P&L. Active customers, order frequency, average order value, and market expansion build sales; supplier purchase cost, fulfillment, shipping, and waste determine gross margin. Inventory turns, repeat behavior, marketing efficiency, and working capital show how the surplus-retail model converts growth into cash.

## What's included

- 5-year monthly revenue build with stage-appropriate growth assumptions
- Full P&L, headcount plan, and operating-expense schedule
- Cash-flow statement, runway, and burn-rate tracking
- Valuation via exit multiple with a DCF cross-check
- Returns analysis with MOIC and IRR
- Unit economics including CAC, LTV, payback, and cohort retention

## Product & value proposition

- Takes surplus FMCG inventory from branded suppliers (packaging changes, seasonality, faulty production, approaching best-before dates) and sells it directly to consumers via e-commerce.
- Consumer offer: A-brands at 20–90% discount, ever-changing assortment, nationwide delivery.
- Supplier offer: quick sell-off (avg 30 days, <10 days for A-brands), brand equity/CSR alignment, customer insight (price elasticity, demographics).
- 300+ active suppliers including Coca-Cola, Heinz, Barilla, Haribo, Nestlé, Dr. Oetker, L'Oréal, Orkla, Unilever, Mondelēz.
- Environmental claim: saving food reduces ~90% of emissions vs. alternatives; 25,000+ tonnes of food saved to date.
- Logistics: two fulfilment hubs (Nordic + Germany); partners include Airmee, Budbee, PostNord, Posti, DHL.

## Market

- Global food waste value: €1 trillion/year.
- EU food waste: 88 million tons.
- Global food production: ~5 billion tons/year; responsible for ~25% of global GHG emissions.
- No explicit TAM/SAM/SOM breakdown, addressable market sizing, or percentage figures provided in the deck.

## Revenue model

- Revenue source: product sales (buy surplus at a steep discount from suppliers, resell to consumers at 20–90% below RRP). Margin is the spread between acquisition cost and consumer selling price.
- Channel: 100% D2C via own e-commerce platform; nationwide delivery in 4 markets.
- Assortment is dynamic / ever-changing by nature of surplus supply.
- No disclosed pricing tiers, subscription models, or platform fees. Appears to be pure product margin business.

## Traction & metrics

- Customers: >500,000 active customers ("more than half a million everyday heroes").
- Markets: 4 countries - SE, FI, DK, DE.
- Supplier base: 300+ suppliers.
- Environmental: 25,000+ tonnes of food saved.
- Awards: FT 1000 Europe's Fastest Growing Companies 2021; listed for 2 consecutive years. Viva Technology Top 100 Scaleups. #1 food e-store in Sweden.
- No revenue figures, order volumes, AOV, GMV, growth rates, or retention metrics disclosed in the deck.

## Competition / moat

- Moat framing: sustainability positioning, supplier relationships (300+ FMCG brands), operational know-how in surplus procurement, community of 500k+ loyal customers, established fulfilment infrastructure in 2 hubs.
- No explicit competitive landscape slide or named competitors shown.
- Positioned as prevention-stage in the waste hierarchy (higher environmental impact than redistribution, recycling, or disposal).

## Team & funding ask / use of funds

**Team**:
- Karl Andersson - CEO & Co-founder (co-founder GetOnBoard; sales director Metro & Expressen)
- Ulf Skagerström - Co-founder (co-founder GetOnBoard & Generate Sweden; business development Expressen)
- Erik Södergren - Co-founder (ICA Supermarket owner 15 years)
- Sofia - Marketing (10+ years FMCG)
- Andreas - Tech (15+ years tech & e-com)
- Johannes - Strategy/Finance (5+ years strategy & start-up)
- Johan - Purchasing/Sales (10+ years grocery trade)
- Conrad - Logistics (15+ years store logistics)
- Peter - Operations (12+ years consulting, retail & e-com)

## Recommended financial model

- **Archetype + why**: DTC inventory P&L / e-commerce 3-statement model. Motatos is a buy-resell business - revenue is product sales, COGS is the cost of acquiring surplus inventory, and gross margin is the spread. Growth is driven by customer count × order frequency × AOV. This is not a SaaS, marketplace (no take-rate), or subscription model. A DTC e-commerce P&L with an inventory/working-capital layer is the right archetype.

- **Forecast horizon & granularity**: 3 years (2022–2024), monthly for Year 1 (to capture cash flow seasonality), quarterly for Years 2–3. Given the Nov 2021 deck date, start from Jan 2022.

- **Key drivers & assumptions**:
  - Active customers (start): 500,000; growth rate ~30–40% YoY given FT 1000 fastest-growing recognition and 4-market footprint
  - Markets: SE, FI, DK, DE; Germany as the main growth lever given hub investment
  - Order frequency per customer per year ~4–6 orders/year, typical DTC food e-com range
  - AOV (Average Order Value) ~€40–60, based on bulk/pantry-staples positioning and Nordic FMCG benchmarks
  - Gross margin % ~30–40%; surplus inventory bought at deep discount, but logistics-heavy; benchmark against DTC food companies
  - Supplier sell-off pricing discount received varies; avg 30-day sell-off implies low acquisition cost but volatile supply
  - Fulfilment cost per order ~€5–8 based on Nordic parcel carrier rates (PostNord, Budbee, DHL)
  - CAC ~€15–25 for a community/sustainability-driven DTC brand at this scale; likely improves with word-of-mouth
  - Marketing spend as % of revenue ~10–15% at growth stage
  - Headcount: small lean team inferred; scale with market expansion
  - Working capital: surplus inventory model means short holding periods (avg 30 days per deck); low inventory risk
  - CapEx: minimal (asset-light; fulfilment hubs appear leased, logistics outsourced)

- **Scenarios (Base / Bull / Bear - which variables flex)**:
  - Base: 35% customer growth, stable AOV, gross margin 33%
  - Bull: German market accelerates, 50%+ customer growth, AOV lifts as basket expands to non-food
  - Bear: supplier inventory supply constrained (reliant on brand surplus; hard to guarantee), slower DE ramp, margin compression from freight costs

- **Required sheets / outputs**:
  1. Assumptions (all drivers, tagged DECK vs. ASSUMED)
  2. Revenue build (customers × frequency × AOV, by market)
  3. P&L / Income Statement (revenue, COGS, gross profit, opex by function, EBITDA)
  4. Cash flow statement (operating cash flow, working capital movements, CapEx)
  5. Balance sheet (inventory, payables, cash)
  6. Unit economics summary (CAC, LTV, payback, gross margin per order)
  7. Scenario toggle (Base / Bull / Bear)
  8. Dashboard (KPIs: active customers, revenue, gross margin %, EBITDA, cash runway)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Motatos financial model free?

Yes. The Motatos model is a free Excel download with live formulas.

### Can I change the assumptions?

Yes. The workbook is editable and its live formulas recalculate when assumptions change.