Online auction site Catawiki recently moved into new offices in Assen. Over the past decade, the company has grown from a start-up in an attic to one of the biggest online market places in Europe.
By Jelte Stol / Translation by Traci White
Catawiki was listed as the 13th fastest growing company in Europe by the Financial Times in 2017. More than 50,000 items are sold each week on the various auction websites run by the Drenthe-based company. The company has opened offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and London in recent years.
As their global profile rises, Catawiki remains anchored in Assen. Their headquarters in Drenthe employ 200 people. The city is easily accessible due to the regional rail network. “Our offices are just a five-minute walk from the station”, CEO Ilse Kamps told RTV Drenthe. “I usually work at our Amsterdam location, but the connection here is really ideal.”
Kamps also says that there is a lot of well-educated talent in the north. “The University of Groningen is nearby, and there are several universities of applied sciences in Assen and Groningen. It’s very easy to recruit new talent here. We have 35 people in our customer support department here – it would be impossible to find that many in Amsterdam.”
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