BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Etsy, Inc. ETSY, the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, announced today that it has entered into a referral agreement with DaWanda, a privately held Germany-based marketplace for gifts and handmade items. As part of this agreement, DaWanda will encourage its community of buyers and sellers to migrate to the Etsy platform. DaWanda plans to wind down its operations and shut down its site on August 30, 2018.

Josh Silverman, Etsy, Inc. CEO, commented, "Germany has long been one of Etsy's core geographic markets, and we have nurtured our community there through investments in marketing, technology, community events, and talent in our Berlin office. This agreement expands our reach within Germany and Central Europe, and we're delighted to welcome DaWanda sellers and buyers as we continue to make significant investments to drive global growth of the Etsy platform. Etsy's existing marketplace of 35 million active buyers creates exciting new opportunities for DaWanda sellers to grow their businesses, and their buyers will now have access to our more than 50 million listings."

Founded in 2006, DaWanda's marketplace features approximately 4 million items, and in the past year has connected approximately 2 million active buyers with over 70,000 active sellers. DaWanda's seller and buyer bases in Germany, Poland, Austria, and Switzerland are complementary to Etsy's, creating an opportunity for Etsy to expand and enhance its footprint in the region.

DaWanda's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Claudia Helming, added, "Etsy shares many of DaWanda's values and ideals: it has a deep commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, it celebrates creativity, and it prioritizes human connection. Additionally, it has a huge scale and reach. I am confident that our community will continue to thrive as part of Etsy."

In the coming months, the Etsy and DaWanda teams will work to ensure a seamless transition for both buyers and sellers. Beginning the week of July 2, DaWanda sellers will be able to easily import their shops and listings to Etsy free of charge. Etsy will invest in other key areas to support a successful migration, including increased marketing in the region, additional German and Polish customer support, full translation of its website to Polish, and expanded payment options in Germany through a new partnership with Klarna. 

Etsy will not acquire any of DaWanda's assets, liabilities, or employees as part of this agreement.

For more information about Etsy's global growth story, please see the post on its news blog.

About Etsy

Etsy, Inc. is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. Our mission is to keep commerce human, and we're committed to using the power of business to strengthen communities and empower people. We connect millions of buyers and sellers from nearly every country in the world. Buyers come to Etsy to be inspired and delighted by items that are crafted and curated by creative entrepreneurs. For sellers, we offer a range of tools and services that address key business needs.

Etsy was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.

About DaWanda

DaWanda was created by Claudia Helming and Michael Pütz in Berlin in December 2006. DaWanda is the leading online marketplace for the creative lifestyle in Germany and Central Europe. With unique products, do-it-yourself instructions and matching materials, DaWanda is an alternative to industrially-produced bulk goods and is a port of call for people who appreciate the uniqueness of handmade items.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release (including statements quoted in this press release) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements related to the benefits of our referral agreement with DaWanda and the related transition of its buyer and seller community to Etsy, our expansion into Germany and Central Europe, our planned investments, and our future growth.

Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical fact. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. These risks and uncertainties include the successful implementation of the referral agreement with DaWanda (including the transition of its buyer and seller community to Etsy) and execution of our business strategy and international expansion plans, the success of our investments and marketing efforts, our active and engaged community of Etsy sellers and Etsy buyers, the growth and performance of our platform, and other risks and uncertainties that are more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, and subsequent reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Forward-looking statements represent our beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Etsy, Inc.