With a bonus program Keepoala Avoid returns and reward environmentally conscious consumers. The Munich-based startup, based in Werk1, has now received mid-six-figure seed funding. Following its market entry in Germany and more than 1.5 years of bootstrapping, the current pre-seed funding will be used to improve existing software products and the app user experience, as well as to further build the team.
Specifically, Keepoala plans to increase the number of its partner shops and app users by the end of the year to at least quadruple the savings in unnecessary environmental pollution and packaging waste.
Closing the intention-behavior gap
Since the launch of the Keepoala app in November 2021, the Keepoala community has already avoided more than 2,000 returns, according to the company. Interview with Munich Startup The three founders Eik Lämmerhirt, Sebastian Engel-Wolf, Tjark Metzner explain how their app works:
"We want to reward online shoppers for not returning orders through a smart incentive program. The focus here is on closing the intention-behavior gap. This means that the will to shop sustainably is there, but the hurdle to doing something good is still too high, which hinders the implementation of what I actually set out to do. Through our app, we will make it as easy as possible for shoppers to be rewarded for their environmental awareness in online shopping and to reduce their own carbon footprint. By increasing the transparency of the ecological footprint when shopping, we will help promote more conscious consumption in the long term. If an item is returned, the customer can be rewarded for providing more detailed information about the reasons for the return. The participating online shops, retailers, and brands benefit from reduced costs through avoided returns and return data, and from increased customer satisfaction and loyalty through the Keepoala sustainability seal."
This approach also convinced investors. Eik Lämmerhirt, Co-Founder of Keepoala, says:
"Our investor base combines entrepreneurial experience from the areas of clothing manufacturing for global outdoor and sports brands, returns tech, and exit experience in fashion e-commerce. This makes us extremely proud."
Incentivize CO2-avoiding consumption alternatives
It shouldn't just be returns. Lämmerhirt continues:
"Thanks to the new app features, Keepoala users will not only collect points for avoiding returns, but also for other CO2-saving actions, such as using sustainable, reusable to-go solutions or scanning public transport job tickets. In the long run, it won't be enough to simply buy yourself out of habitual consumption patterns through CO2 offsetting or to receive nice tips for changing behavior – which you then don't stick to. That's why Keepoala offers the first app that incentivizes CO2-avoiding consumption alternatives and verifies the decision through tracking."
