GENERAL-ATLANTIC
11.8.2021 10:02:27 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Chrono24 , a leading global digital marketplace for new and pre-owned luxury watches, announced today that it has secured more than 100M € ($118M+ USD) in Series C investment. The round was led by General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, with participation from Aglaé Ventures, the technology arm of the Arnault family’s investment company. Existing investors Insight Partners and Sprints Capital also participated in the round. This newest minority growth funding brings Chrono24’s cumulative funds raised to over 200M € to date (approximately $236M USD).
Chrono24 plans to leverage the new investment to accelerate its growth trajectory, including continuing to scale internationally, deepening its presence in existing markets and augmenting its global team with additional top talent. Already a market leader in more than 100 countries, Chrono24 also plans to enhance its user experience to further capitalize on the thriving pre-owned luxury watch market and capture the potential to service a new generation of collectors.
Founded in 2003, Chrono24 pioneered and digitized the historically offline luxury watch industry and was one of the first companies of scale to connect watch dealers and collectors around the globe through its digital marketplace. The company now counts an average of 500,000 unique visitors per day. With more than 3,000 retail dealers and 30,000 private sellers across more than 100 countries worldwide, Chrono24 lists approximately half a million luxury watches for sale at any given time.
Jörn Nikolay, Managing Director with responsibility for General Atlantic’s operations in Germany , said: “Since its establishment in 2003, Karlsruhe-based Chrono24 has become a global pioneer in the creation of a cross-border online marketplace for luxury watches, with an innovative model underpinned by transparency and sustainability. We are pleased to support Chrono24 with our capital and expertise in its ongoing global expansion.”
“Once again, Chrono24 has been able to win premier growth-experienced partners like General Atlantic and Aglaé Ventures. As originators of the digital marketplace concept within the luxury watch world, we’ve built a platform that not only supports and encourages evolving consumer behavior, but also provides invaluable proof of concept to an industry that has traditionally shied away from disruption,” commented Chrono24 Co-CEO, Tim Stracke . “We are very pleased that General Atlantic and Aglaé Ventures recognize the vast market potential lying in the digital evolution of luxury retail and our company’s role in this industry.”
Chrono24 continues to be led by its founder and Co-CEO Tim Stracke; Co-CEO (and former TeamViewer CEO) Holger Felgner; and CFO Stephan Kniewasser. A majority of existing shareholders, including Felgner and Kniewasser, co-invested alongside the new group of investors. This latest fundraise follows Chrono24’s 2019 Series B financing of 43M € from Sprints Capital, former Richemont director Gianni Serazzi, and YOOX-NET-A-PORTER founder Alberto Grignolo, among others, as well as the company’s 37M € Series A from Insight Partners in 2015.
About Chrono24 GmbH
“Chrono24 – The World's Watch Market” is a leading global online marketplace for luxury watches since 2003. With approximately 500,000 watches from more than 3,000 retailers from over 100 countries and more than 30,000 private sellers, the portal reaches over 9 million unique visitors per month. In 2020 Chrono24 generated a transaction volume growth of +30%, with monthly purchase requests falling in the six-digit range. With a large global offering of new, used and vintage watches combined, Chrono24 offers an extensive service portfolio, allowing buyers and sellers to complete their transactions in a trusted environment. The worldwide support team provides assistance by mail or telephone in 15 different languages. Chrono24 was founded in 2003 and employs almost 400 people in offices in Karlsruhe, Berlin, New York and Hong Kong. www.chrono24.com
About General Atlantic
General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm with more than four decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 400 growth companies throughout its history. Established in 1980 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs and deliver lasting impact, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to scale innovative businesses around the world. General Atlantic currently has over $65 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2021 and more than 175 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Stamford. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit the website: www.generalatlantic.com .
About Aglaé Ventures
Aglaé Ventures is a global investment firm based in Paris, New York and Los Angeles backed by Agache, the holding company of the Arnault family and the controlling shareholder of LVMH, the world leader in luxury. For nearly 30 years, Agache has backed fast-growing innovative companies at all stages of their development including in the past months Automattic, BackMarket, Mano Mano and Noom. https://aglaeventures.com/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210811005246/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Bending Spoons completes the acquisition of Airtable4.9.2026 14:30:00 CEST | Press release
Bending Spoons S.p.A. (NASDAQ: BSP) has completed the previously announced acquisition of Airtable, the platform used by more than 500,000 organizations to reshape how teams organize data and manage critical workflows. “Airtable continues to grow because customers value its best-in-class flexibility,” said Luca Ferrari, Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder. “Teams can bring all their data, context, and AI agents together in one place, shape their workflows around their specific needs, and progressively expand their use of the platform over time. As we take the reins, our focus will be on sustaining that growth by investing heavily in Airtable’s product, customer support, and go-to-market capabilities.” “I’m proud of what the Airtable team has built and excited to see the business enter this next chapter,” said Howie Liu, co-founder of Airtable. “I’m confident Bending Spoons has the resources and long-term perspective to help Airtable continue delivering exceptional value to its customers
EQT to acquire McGill and Partners, a leading specialty (re)insurance broker for USD 2.0 billion, from Warburg Pincus4.9.2026 13:48:00 CEST | Press release
Warburg Pincus and McGill and Partners have reached an agreement with EQT that will see Warburg Pincus sell its majority stake to EQT McGill and Partners founders, management team and colleagues will re-invest alongside EQT, retaining a meaningful ownership stake in the firm going forward as they continue to serve clients globally Maintains commitment to firm’s independent model and culture of ownership, developed organically since its founding in 2019 EQT will partner with Steve McGill and the management team to accelerate organic growth, including via talent recruitment, further development of technology and data capabilities, and expansion of innovative digital solutions EQT and McGill and Partners are pleased to announce that EQT X ("EQT") has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in McGill and Partners from Warburg Pincus for USD 2.0bn. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Steve McGill will continue to lead the firm, while Chairman John Lloyd will remain a
A Race Is Never Won Alone: With La Tavolata, Barilla Brings the Paddock Family Together on the Monza Grid4.9.2026 12:18:00 CEST | Press release
A nearly 100-meter-long dinner table hosted more than 200 guests for an evening celebrating collaboration, trust and the bonds built beyond competition. On Thursday evening ahead of the Formula 1® Italian Grand Prix, Barilla transformed one of the sport’s fastest and most competitive environments into a place where the Paddock Family took center stage. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902463001/en/ La Tavolata by Barilla on the starting grid of the Monza circuit. More than two hundred people gathered around a single table: drivers, Team Principals, mechanics, engineers, strategists, safety and medical car drivers, personal trainers, tire technicians. The individuals whose collaboration, precision and trust shape every race, every decision and every performance. A nearly 100-meter table set with plates and pasta. With the first-ever Tavolata organized by Barilla and F1, people from across the Formula 1® ecosy
Aqara Showcases The New Smart Lighting Series and Immersive Smart Home Experience at IFA 20264.9.2026 11:30:00 CEST | Press release
Aqara, a global leader in IoT, today announced a new lineup of smart lighting products and a global community platform for smart space creators, at IFA 2026 in Berlin. The announcements reflect Aqara's ongoing vision for AI-driven spatial intelligence — spaces that understand their users and adapt to how people actually live in them. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260904365343/en/ Aqara Showcases The New Smart Lighting Series and Immersive Smart Home Experience at IFA 2026 The new lighting series — spanning indoor and outdoor use — integrates seamlessly with Aqara's existing ecosystem of sensors, switches, and hubs, bringing complete whole-space lighting scenarios and automated controls to life. The new Aqara products showcased include the Floor Lamp T1, LED Downlight T2, LED Strip T2, Outdoor String Lights H1, and Permanent Outdoor Lights H1. In addition, the company will present Aqara Builder, a platform fo
Hyper Brings its Latest Range of Power, Connectivity and MacBook Accessories to IFA 20264.9.2026 07:00:00 CEST | Press release
The latest additions to Hyper's portfolio make everyday mobile setups more personal, portable and productive across work, creating and travel Messe Berlin – IFA 2026 (Hall 5.2, Stand 179) – Hyper®, an innovator of mobile accessories for Apple users, creators and mobile professionals, will showcase its latest lineup at IFA 2026, designed to make everyday mobile setups more personal, portable and productive across work, creating and travel. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260903870923/en/ Discover Hyper's latest MacBook accessories, power and connectivity solutions debuting at IFA 2026 Building on essential MacBook Neo accessories, the range expands across portable charging, privacy, workspace connectivity and carry solutions, led by HyperJuice Flex, Hyper’s colourful and accessible collection designed to make everyday power more portable and personal. “At IFA, we’re introducing an everyday ecosystem built aroun
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom