A new parcel delivery service in the emerging sharing economy: Parcify by Bpost

Corporate startup of the week

The history of the bike as a courier service started as early as the late 19th century. The use of the bike as a means of transportation has mostly prevailed in central and Northern Europe, becoming an intrinsic part of the cultures of countries like The Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium.

The history of the bike as a courier service started as early as the late 19th century. The use of the bike as a means of transportation has mostly prevailed in central and Northern Europe, becoming an intrinsic part of the cultures of countries like The Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium.

Combined with the rise of the gig-economy, bike-friendly cities in Europe started producing new companies that disrupted local distribution services: thus were born Deliveroo, in London, and Foodora, in Germany. The overwhelming success of these startups was a tipping point for the category, and the parcel delivery industry was able to learn a thing or two from them.

That’s when Parcify was born. Merging the best of both worlds, Parcify uses geo-location to deliver to users on-the-go, wherever they are. Even though Parcify doesn’t specify the delivery method, the most efficient way for most Belgian and Dutch cities (where Parcify is currency active) will be the bike, as demonstrated in a stunt by the brand.

William de Vos was Parcify’s first employee. Part of the company for its first 2,5 years, William was there from launch to acquisition by Belgian courier company Bpost.

Watch the interview to learn more about how Parcify came to be a successful startup, and what changed with its merger with Bpost’s Bringr.


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