BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — Puratos has acquired Rapidle, a French startup that provides personalized e-commerce solutions, and plans to merge it with Bakeronline, a Belgian company focused on the digital transformation of bakery craftsmen that Puratos acquired four years ago. Rapidle, Bakeronline and Puratos have an objective to increase the amount of artisan bakeries in France with a personalized shop on the web to 5,000 from 750 over the next three years.
“The merger of Bakeronline with Rapidle reinforces the Puratos Group’s promise to encourage and support bakery, patisserie and chocolate professionals in their digital transformation,” said Sophie Blum, chief marketing and channels officer at Belgium-based Puratos, an international manufacturer of ingredients for the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors. “We want to be the technological partner of their choice in our industry thanks to innovative, effective and simple solutions.”
Steeve Broutin and Yann Browaeys founded Rapidle in 2015. The company allows its customers to choose, order and pay online in three clicks.
Bakeronline allows customers to choose their bakery, place an order, and then either pick up the order at the bakery or have the order delivered to the home.
“Over the past two decades, online presence has become a strategic pillar for many companies in multiple sectors to maintain and grow their business,” said Maxim Sergeant, founder and chief executive officer of Bakeronline. “It is from this need that Bakeronline was born, almost 10 years ago now. Bakeronline thus allows local businesses to easily create their personalized online store, website and mobile application so that they can deliver their products to a greater number of customers in the most convenient and simple way."