Wallapop and LetGo two Barcelona startups are in advanced talks to merge operations in the U.S.. Both companies provide platforms for consumers to post items for sale and then negotiate sales offline. According to TechCrunch the two are teaming up to scale up their U.S. operations against the 800 pound gorillas in the marketplace, eBay and Craigslist. TechCrunck learned of the negotiations from sources close to the matter and was able to confirm through additional sources even though both Wallapop and LetGo both declined to comment. Combined, the two companies have raised more than $100 million in funding to date. While both companies were founded in Barcelona, they have found audiences in the U.S. market. Although neither of the two have disclosed their user numbers, Wallapop reportedly has around 25 million downloads.
If the U.S. merger goes through, it will be interesting to see how the “mobile first” approach of these two companies impacts the foothold of craigslist across the country. Craigslist has been extremely slow to innovate on mobile and that may be just enough for these two to steal market share. To read the full article on techcrunch click here.
