Online wholesale marketplace Markato enters Hong Kong

The startup enables a one-stop shop for retailers and buyers.

Markato, an online wholesale marketplace startup, has launched in Hong Kong to provide a one-stop shop for retailers and buyers to source supplies from independent brands globally.

In a statement, Markato said it will transform the business-to-business wholesale industry as it “digitises the entire product discovery process into one seamless end-to-end wholesale buying experience.”

Brian Lo, co-founder, Markato said retailers and buyers in Asia are always seeking brands and premium products globally but sourcing the outside the region has always been costly as well.

“Markato creates opportunities for Asia’s retailers to tap a global marketplace and access a curated mix of unique global brands by providing cost and time-efficient operational support while eliminating capital constraints and inventory risk for the buyers,” he said.

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“By digitizing a traditionally offline and inefficient process, we enable retailers and buyers to rethink their product mix and achieve diversification that ultimately helps them attract new customers and generate higher sales,” he added.

The platform is also integrated with cross-border payment and end-to-end logistics, allowing retailers to save at least 20% of transaction and logistics costs. It also offers a 60-day buy now pay later option for retailers, and extends a 90-day free returns feature.

Markato, founded in 2023 by Lo and Martin Li, has raised $5m in the second quarter in a seed-funding round led by Lightspeed. It aims to expand its network to over 2,000 buyers and brands.