Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Tupalo.com

An ex-Paddy Power marketer wants this startup to become 'the Airbnb for business'

As part of our weekly Startup Spotlight series, we profile Popertee.

DUBLIN STARTUP POPERTEE plans to roll out its pop-up shop booking service in London later this year – and it hopes to entice department store behemoth John Lewis to put its vacant units on the platform.

The company, which currently only operates in Ireland, says it will soft-launch the booking platform in the UK capital this September.

Popertee was founded in 2016 by ex-Paddy Power marketer Lucinda Kelly, who tells Fora the idea for the company spawned from her interest in Airbnb’s model, which she thought could be replicated in the retail industry.

Although it has only been in operation for a year and a half, the young company’s business proposition is already undergoing a reboot as it pursues a “more scaleable” opportunity in the data analytics sector.

“It’s a little bit deceptive – when you go on our website you see what we are doing, versus what we are building,” she says.

At the moment, Popertee appears to be what Kelly calls a “simple platform” where companies and marketing agencies scout for pop-up retail venues around Ireland.

“We’re running almost a concierge service to validate the proposition,” she says. “We match brands directly with spaces”, adding that the company looks after the legal agreement and rental transaction in exchange for a total 10% commission.

LK 2 Popertee CEO Lucinda Kelly Fred Rood / Popertee Fred Rood / Popertee / Popertee

Artificial intelligence

However behind the scenes, the company is developing a technology that uses artificial intelligence to match venues with the specific demands of retailers and brands looking for short-term lets.

“Brands and agencies wanted to understand footfall demographic information and neighbourhood insights when pre-booking,” Kelly says. “We realised there was a much bigger, more scaleable business opportunity there.”

Popertee started buying data from social media companies and telcos to help it build a property search engine that spits out fine-tuned recommendations for pop-up spaces based on clients’ requests.

“For example, let’s say you have Amazon coming to Ireland – they’re looking to promote a new Kindle and they’re looking to target males aged 18 to 35 in shopping centres,” Kelly says.

The marketing agency would use Popertee to seek out venues that can cater for that specific demographic.

90401326_90401326 Stephen's Green Shopping Centre Sam Boal / Rollingnews.ie Sam Boal / Rollingnews.ie / Rollingnews.ie

The company closed a €500,000 seed round a couple of weeks ago to help build out that model. It has already been backed by Enterprise Ireland and NDRC.

The bulk of the half-a-million euro just raised will be earmarked for hiring new staff, Kelly says.

The startup has grown from a solo operation with help from friends to a five-person team with four interns in the last 18 months.

Several employees and advisors have followed Kelly from Paddy Power. Head of product and operations Joe Packenham is former head of operations at the bookmaker, while director Edgardo Savoy was previously at Paddy Power and has served as chief technology officer at Lastminute.com.

“There’s a really strong team that we’re building out,” Kelly says.

Well-known brands

Despite its short history, Popertee has already worked with an impressive line-up of well-known brands in Ireland.

It helped find a venue for Heinz Baked Beans’ pop-up café in Dublin and was also involved in Italian beermaker Peroni’s ‘House of Peroni’ campaign, as well as sourcing spaces for car brands Citroen and Volvo.

Kelly says the company is currently in talks with John Lewis in the UK in the hopes of putting vacant shop space it owns up for rent through Popertee.

She stresses that Ireland is very much a “test market” as the company looks to break into the much tougher British sector.

Kelly identifies Appear Here as a major competitor on the other side of the Irish Sea. The pop-up shop provider closed a $12 million series B round in May.

“They’re more like a hybrid estate agent,” Kelly says. “They’re doing really well.”

‘Experiential’ marketing

Popertee is riding on the so-called ‘experiential marketing’ wave, which it expects to continue growing over the coming years.

Kelly says marketing firms have begun to significantly increased their spending on the campaigns, a buzzword for Instagram-friendly PR stunts. She attributes that growth to changes in consumer appetites.

“When you look at online,” she says, “it’s about getting from A to B as quickly as possible and getting customers to take out their credit card and make a transaction. What’s lacking is an experience.”

A pop-up venue gives branding gurus the opportunity to give their clients a physical experience in high footfall areas, which Kelly says helps increase “loyalty with the brand”.

When asked about the company’s future plans, she says it is looking at revisiting its original Airbnb concept and extending its offering beyond traditional retail space.

“We believe in five years’ time that it’s not just about retail units or about warehouses,” she says.

“It’s almost going back to Airbnb but for business. But smart Airbnb where you rent out the side of a building or a spare room in town, or a window at the side of your shop. Brands and marketing agencies are looking for new types of spaces.”

For now, the startup is also looking to bulk up its advisory board.

“I think it’s important that we bring some really seasoned experts on board across retail, property, ad-tech,” she says. “We need to think about a chairman. They will help shape us in where we want to be.”

This article is part of a weekly series featuring Ireland’s most promising startups. If you would like to see your company featured email news@fora.ie.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said Daniel McCarthy was head of operations at Popertee. Joe Packenham is head of product and operations at the company.

Written by Conor McMahon and posted on Fora.ie

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

View 12 comments
Close
12 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
    Favourite Maria Hickey-Fagan
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:45 PM

    Only because he knows nobody will tolerate the reimposition of restrictions

    150
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Doyle
    Favourite Declan Doyle
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:50 PM

    @Maria Hickey-Fagan: yYou’re dead right, look at the fallout lockdowns are having on inflation which is a long way from finished yet. Lockdowns affecting and will affect more than covid ever did…

    114
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe_X
    Favourite Joe_X
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 11:37 PM

    @Declan Doyle: really? A certain war currently ongoing has nothing to do with it? You know, the one driving up the prices of electricity and causing an energy crisis…….something that to my knowledge the lockdowns never did.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute alan
    Favourite alan
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:21 PM

    Good idea to get going on a winter strategy…almost midway through October. Donnelly on the ball.

    134
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mickety Dee
    Favourite Mickety Dee
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:23 PM

    @alan: Eh, they’ve published the plan? That’s well beyond strategy

    59
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Cauldhame
    Favourite Frank Cauldhame
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 6:52 PM

    @alan: C’mon, what evidence of proactivity have we seen from this gov’t, they spend all their time chasing their tails. There are certain areas where we should err on the side of caution yet when it comes to Covid.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Crow
    Favourite Crow
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:38 PM

    His plan to treat Long-COVID is to ignore it and hope it goes away by itself.

    Imagine getting away with that in any other profession.

    133
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor King
    Favourite Conor King
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:39 PM

    @Crow: imagine still going on about long covid

    130
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Crow
    Favourite Crow
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:48 PM

    @Conor King: you would be ‘still going on about it’ if you were totally debilitated by it.

    Imagine belittling sick people because you want to deny reality. Back to you QAnon mates there like a good lad.

    118
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damien Leen
    Favourite Damien Leen
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:49 PM

    @Crow: like they did with covid initially

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Grehan
    Favourite Stephen Grehan
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:51 PM

    Journal deletes documentary from the UK, that available on most platforms so the one sided narrative continues. Well done Journal.

    96
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SquintEastwood
    Favourite SquintEastwood
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:18 PM

    @Stephen Grehan: and nobody even got to call you a conspiracy theorist

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SquintEastwood
    Favourite SquintEastwood
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:21 PM

    @Stephen Grehan: thumbs up for trying

    18
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SquintEastwood
    Favourite SquintEastwood
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:23 PM

    @SquintEastwood: Safe and Effective: A Second Opinion

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Grehan
    Favourite Stephen Grehan
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:47 PM

    @SquintEastwood: Well done i was afraid to mention it as i suspect that comment would also be deleted. Perhaps the Journalist Tadgh McNally would care to explain why it was deleted when most platforms are showing this now, when up until a few weeks ago would have taken it down.

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sequoia
    Favourite Sequoia
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 1:17 PM

    I’m fully vaxxed, have had it twice and the second time was a whole lot easier.

    My father in law has just had it for the third time and had little more than a sore throat.

    I’ll get the fku & covid jab and continue on.

    We really need to stop going on about it at this point and just get on with life.

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Jacob
    Favourite Tom Jacob
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:44 PM

    @Sequoia: You tell everyone to not talk about it meanwhile you’re talking about it? Thanks for giving us your father in laws life story

    49
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sequoia
    Favourite Sequoia
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:56 PM

    @Tom Jacob:

    My opinion & thoughts are vitally important round here.

    Didn’t you get the memo? I’m kind of a big deal.

    Have an awesome day.

    30
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Cauldhame
    Favourite Frank Cauldhame
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 7:04 PM

    @Sequoia: I thought at first you said, “I’m fully waxed….”

    Agree with your post, I think the gov’t have exhausted their money orchard.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Celtic Eagle
    Favourite Celtic Eagle
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:30 PM

    1 in 40 had the virus last week in Northern Ireland. I’d imagine its similar here.

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ian James Burgess
    Favourite Ian James Burgess
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:41 PM

    @Celtic Eagle: exactly, case numbers rising quickly in the UK, but sure let’s not talk about it in Ireland and hope it goes away

    61
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Jacob
    Favourite Tom Jacob
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:38 PM

    @Ian James Burgess: Ya gman because talking about it will make it go away. Does every comment you make about it reduce cases by 1 or what? If you’re so afraid of Covid then stay in your room all day lol

    35
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Hedderman
    Favourite Paul Hedderman
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 4:16 PM

    @Celtic Eagle: I dont believe thats true unless you can back that up!……. In the whole of the UK there was 62.4k new cases reported in the week to the 6th of October (From Our World In Data)….. 1 in 40 of population of 1.9 million in the north is around 47.5k people. By what your saying most of the cases in the while of the UK just happen to be in the north……… Then when you say you imagine its the same here that equates to around 125k cases here in a week?!?! Laughable!…… Officially its 2.4k here in the week to 5th of Oct.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Celtic Eagle
    Favourite Celtic Eagle
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 4:37 PM

    Google it, I cant post links.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Hedderman
    Favourite Paul Hedderman
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 6:35 PM

    @Celtic Eagle: I did. In the last 7 days there was 1,819 cases in the north. Far from 1 in 40 in a population of 1.9million or 47.5k!……. Funny how you can make up stuff and not back it up with links but I can post links…… Link to the NI covid dashboard…… Some dose of fake news out of you!

    https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiODJjOGE3ZDUtM2ViNy00YjBlLTllMjktOTNjZjlkODJhODU4IiwidCI6ImU3YTEzYWVhLTk0MzctNGRiNy1hMjJiLWNmYWE0Y2UzM2I2ZSJ9

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Hedderman
    Favourite Paul Hedderman
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 6:36 PM

    @Celtic Eagle: just over 1 in 1,000 FYI

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
    Favourite Gearóid MacEachaidh
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:03 PM

    Hospital numbers here have risen by approx 100 over the last week and the percentage of positive tests by 4%. Thankfully icu numbers haven’t risen. It was 11 last night which is down a couple from this time last month. Vaccines are still important though. The UK are still averaging around 300 covid related deaths per week. Of course they didn’t have the same uptake in vaccines among the older population that we had, especially in ethnic groups. I get my 2nd booster tomorrow and I’m dreading it. Have had reactions to all my shots so far. But needs must.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Jacob
    Favourite Tom Jacob
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:33 PM

    @Gearóid MacEachaidh: No one cares

    80
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
    Favourite Gearóid MacEachaidh
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 5:39 PM

    @Tom Jacob: well clearly you do

    10
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damien Leen
    Favourite Damien Leen
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 6:37 PM

    @Gearóid MacEachaidh: he’s a half wit, pay no attention.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute alan
    Favourite alan
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:21 PM

    Good idea to get going on a winter strategy…almost midway through October. Donnelly on the ball.j

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Betty O Sullivan
    Favourite Betty O Sullivan
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 12:29 PM

    @alan: Shrup

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Jacob
    Favourite Tom Jacob
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 2:34 PM

    @alan: No one cares about Covid unless your 90 years old and smoked 100 fags a day since you were 5.

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lisa O'Connor
    Favourite Lisa O'Connor
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 5:57 PM

    Good god, sounds like they will only make masks mandatory in certain situations, if it happens, though I’m not holding my breath. Similar to 2020, how they mandated masks in shops and on public transport before other places like covid can’t spread in other areas outside of shops/public transport/healthcare.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe_X
    Favourite Joe_X
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 11:27 PM

    @Lisa O’Connor: no, but they are the places where the public congregate and move around the most (shops) or are packed in the most(public transport)

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Verners Tess
    Favourite Verners Tess
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 11:32 PM
    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe_X
    Favourite Joe_X
    Report
    Oct 11th 2022, 9:11 PM

    Well those of us who are willing to be vaxed are better protected and those who don’t want it can take their own chances, as long as when they do catch it, they have the cop on to stay away from others.

    BTW, before anyone mentions it, those who contract it and are vaxed, already show that they have that cop on seeing as they got vaxed in the first place!

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds