Milan, May 11, 2022 – MBE Worldwide (“MBE”) acquires a majority stake in GEL Proximity, the first platform dedicated to proximity logistics.
MBE Worldwide (“MBE”) is a leading global platform offering solutions in e-commerce, shipping, logistics, and print and marketing services to support SMEs and individuals. In 2021, MBE served more than 1,000,000 customers worldwide generating an aggregate revenue of € 1.01 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) through its more than 2,900 Service Centers in 53 countries, and approximately € 24 billion (US$ 28.5 billion) in gross sales revenue brokered through PrestaShop e-commerce solutions.
GEL Proximity is a platform entirely dedicated to last-mile services, thanks to a technology connector that currently offers consumers tens of thousands of Pickup Points in Italy. In 2020, GEL Proximity, a spin-off from the Milan Polytechnic, became a corporation with the goal of improving the sustainability and growth of the e-commerce channel, with a focus on urban logistics, environmental impacts, and reducing emissions by optimizing the parcel delivery and pickup system.
This acquisition represents a strategic step in MBE Worldwide’s growth path. In fact, the development and integration of the GEL Proximity technology platform globally will enable MBE to further strengthen its competitive position as a commercial and logistics platform serving businesses.
“Our strategic goal is to build an integrated physical and digital platform to support the activities of SMEs.” – said Paolo Fiorelli, MBE President and CEO – “The combination of an extensive network of service centers and one of the most recognized e-commerce platforms in the world makes MBE unique on the international scene. This acquisition allows us to further enrich the offering to our customers so that they, in turn, can better serve their end customers.” – concluded Paolo Fiorelli.
“GEL Proximity’s journey is the result of an entrepreneurial idea built with Damiano Frosi and with the support of Politecnico di Milano, Polihub and Digital Innovation Observatories, which have played a key role in these years, together with Europromotion, a subsidiary of Italia Distribuzioni, a leader in proximity marketing solutions.” – said Lorenzo Maggioni, CEO & Co-founder of GEL Proximity – “The last mile represents today the most delicate and expensive phase of the distribution chain and our commitment with MBE will be to facilitate access to Proximity logistics services through an innovative and highly customizable technology.” – concluded Lorenzo Maggioni.
