Posted by Carousell acquihires safety app WatchOverMe team to improve trust & safety and location-based abilities, welcomes Vinted alum Andrius Baranaukas as Director of Product
Singapore, 1 September 2016 – Carousell moves to fortify its position as one of the world’s largest and fastest growing mobile classifieds app, with the acquihire of the WatchOverMe product and engineering team, and the addition of industry veteran Andrius Baranauskas as Director of Product (formerly Head of Product at preloved fashion marketplace Vinted).
The new additions to its engineering core strengthen Carousell’s bid to become one of the APAC’s top tech startups. Carousell’s engineering team now boasts diverse talent from 8 nationalities, including Ukraine, Lithuania, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Singapore. This expansion comes in tandem with Carousell’s drive to build a world-class team as it accelerates its growth into new markets.
“People are at the centre of our product, and we look for the right diversity, values and talent to bring us closer to serving a global community. Our product and engineering team has more than doubled since the start of this year, and we’re laser-focused on delivering product improvements that will help to push us into the next stage of growth,” said Siu Rui Quek, co-founder and CEO of Carousell.
Leading Carousell’s product strategy and innovation is Andrius Baranauskas, formerly the Head of Product at Vinted. Andrius spearheaded Vinted’s transformation from a desktop-only to mobile-first product, and played a definitive role in turning the brand into one of the world’s largest fashion marketplace apps with over 11 million members in eight countries. His experience in building up Vinted’s community services including chats, discovery, and logistics, will be integral to ramping up Carousell’s product capability. These improvements are essential to cementing Carousell’s position as a leader in the mobile classifieds industry.
Improving discovery and community engagement are two key focus areas for Carousell, and the WatchOverMe team is integral to these improvements.
One of the key players is Jinny Wong, one of Malaysia’s few female CTOs. With over 10 years of development experience, including founding “Xseed Solutions”, which designed and developed iOS applications for startups and MNCs, Jinny will lead the development of trust & safety services, to enhance the overall community experience.
She said, “Carousell uses complex technologies to create a simple and intuitive user experience, so that it’s easy for anyone with a smartphone to buy and sell online. It’s also rewarding to be part of a community that believes changing the way we consume things can make life more meaningful.”
WatchOverMe is Carousell’s first acquihire, and reflects its commitment to building an experienced and diverse product and engineering team. Siu Rui commented, “We’re fortunate that such talented people are willing to join us as we explore how Carousell can improve the lives of people globally. Improving trust & safety, payment and logistics are essential to driving Carousell’s next phase of growth, and we’re constantly looking out for other teams who share the same passion and values.”
About Carousell
Carousell is a mobile classifieds marketplace that makes selling as easy as taking a photo, buying as simple as chatting. Launched in August 2012, Carousell began in Singapore and has spread to 13 cities around the world. With over 35 million listings, we are one of the world’s largest and fastest growing marketplaces. Carousell has been ranked as the top Shopping app in Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and is backed by leading international Venture Capitalists Sequoia India, Rakuten Ventures, 500 Startups, Golden Gate Ventures, and QuestVC. In Singapore, Carousell has a diverse range of products in 29 categories, including cars, lifestyle gadgets, and fashion accessories. Download the app for iOS or Android, and visit www.carousell.com for more information.
About WatchOverMe
WatchOverMe is an app designed to help women feel safer by pushing notifications to emergency contacts when in danger. The service, which will soon be open-sourced, is based in Malaysia and used by 250,000 people worldwide. Its technology, which focuses on safety and addresses a deep community need, will lay a strong foundation for Carousell’s success.
For further information, please contact:
Carousell comms team
E: press@carousell.com