“Incredibly proud.”

The words of OnBuy Founder and CEO Cas Paton.

He was speaking after the Bournemouth-based online marketplace was ranked as Europe’s fastest-growing eCommerce business.

The 2023 FT 1000 also placed OnBuy.com 25th overall in the annual list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies.

The ranking is based on revenue growth which, in OnBuy’s case, adds up to 3,402 per cent.

In 2021 revenue was £12,535,527 compared with £335,092 three years earlier.

The number of employees increased from ten to 108 in the same three year period.

The FT 1000 success comes just months after the business was placed eleventh on the UK Technology Fast 50 2022, Deloitte’s ranking of the UK’s fastest-growing tech companies.

OnBuy claimed top spot for the South West region industry-wide.

Spearheaded by Cas, the site currently has around six million customers and more than 35 million products onsite.

They’re from a wide variety of sellers across an extensive range of categories with everything from collectables and memorabilia to tools and DIY.

OnBuy was launched in November 2016.

Cas pledged to create an online marketplace that provided a better, fairer choice for retailers and consumers.

The business sets itself apart from other marketplaces by refusing to compete with onsite sellers.

It does not stock any of its own inventory which, OnBuy says, provides a fair, transparent and open marketplace for all.

As a result, said Cas, OnBuy has no conflicting practices or any concerns over what it is selling, other than supporting its retailers.

Expressing delight at the FT 1000 ranking, the entrepreneur said OnBuy’s inclusion represented a benchmark of success.

He added: “I’m incredibly proud of the whole OnBuy team and the brilliant work that we have done as a group to get into this position.

“I attribute the business’ strong growth to our collective commitment to providing a fairer ecosystem for both sellers and buyers.

“It’s really important to us as a company that our values remain consistent, with fairness and transparency always at the heart of the business.

“But this is just the start for us.

“We’re on the verge of unveiling a series of incredibly exciting innovations.

“They will help bring us even closer to our sellers and our customers, allowing us to build a better, stronger marketplace for the future.

“The ranking represents a springboard for us to take the next big step in our journey – there’s lots more to come!”

The FT 1000 is published by the Financial Times and compiled with data provider Statista.

• onbuy.com