OnBuy partners with Google Cloud for global expansion

OnBuy, a rapidly expanding online marketplace in Europe, announced a collaboration with Google Cloud to bolster its international growth using cloud technology.

This strategic partnership will allow OnBuy to access Google Cloud's comprehensive suite of products and services, including infrastructure, data storage, and managed services, to enhance seller and customer experiences, cut operational costs, and create new revenue opportunities.

By utilising Google Cloud's services, OnBuy aims to optimise its infrastructure, improving operational efficiency. This infrastructure enhancement is expected to help reduce time spent on maintenance, allowing the business to focus more on expansion goals. Furthermore, Google Cloud's involvement promises to provide OnBuy's customers with quicker, more secure checkout processes and increased flexibility, which are essential for scaling the marketplace internationally.

The collaboration highlights the use of Google Cloud's Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), enabling OnBuy to establish a virtual network encompassing all regions, securing and compartmentalising its infrastructure. Additionally, OnBuy will benefit from Cloud Storage, which offers a fast, low-cost, and highly durable data storage solution, and Cloud SQL, which will manage databases to ensure seamless business operations.

An intriguing aspect of this migration is the opportunity it provides OnBuy to experiment with AI and generative AI tools for various business applications. The company is exploring Google Cloud's AI platform, Vertex AI, particularly for developing an auto-categorisation algorithm for products. This AI tool aims to predict the categories of new and unseen product titles at a large scale.

Cas Paton, Founder and CEO of OnBuy, said, "We turned to Google Cloud because we were looking for a like-minded, fast-moving tech company that could complement our rapidly growing business." 

"Most importantly, we needed a platform that we could trust with our data, which is hugely important to us, both as a business and as part of our commitment to our customers. We are excited for Google Cloud to support us on our mission to change online retail for the better, with the power and flexibility to support the adoption of new tools and systems in the future."

Adrian Poole, UKI Digital Natives, Google Cloud, commented, "The online retail market is undergoing significant modernisation, and it is great to see how our expertise in cloud management, data analytics, and AI is supporting important industry players like OnBuy to navigate this change. We believe we can be a critical innovation partner at this pivotal time in OnBuy's growth journey."

Established in 2016 by Cas Paton, OnBuy has become a major player in the UK marketplace, with a customer base exceeding 6 million. The company stands out through its unique platform that partners with retailers rather than competing against them, enhancing cashback rewards in the online marketplace. This approach has led to OnBuy being recognised in the FT1000 of Europe's fastest-growing companies, the Deloitte Fast 50 for three consecutive years, and the Deloitte EMEA Tech Fast 500 in 2024.

OnBuy currently offers a wide range of products across categories such as electricals, toys, beauty, and home and garden, enabling thousands of verified online retailers to present competitive pricing and value to consumers.